Larryboy: Trust No One
by Zee126
Summary: It's the 16th anniversary from when Larryboy became the superhero of Bumblyburg. But when Larryboy loses a powerful weapon to a criminal, this might be his last. Now, with all the superheroes in danger, and his career and probably even his life on the line, maybe there is no one Larryboy can trust.
1. Genius Never Sleeps

**Here's another new story!**

**It's not a surprise that this is another Larryboy story. Remember it is the Cartoon Larryboy version. If you are tired of these stories, it kinda sucks for you because read whole reason I joined this site was to post Larryboy stories.**

**Anyway, I'm not so sure where this for this story came from. I just remember one idea came up and a bunch of other ideas joined it, then eventually the first idea dissolved into nothing, leaving a very complicated story. But now I started to organize the story and, after about a couple years, it's finally ready.**

**I hope you enjoy and remember, I don't own any of the Larryboy Cartoon stuff. It all belongs to Big Idea.**

**If you read my first story, Timeless Moments with You, I said somewhere there that that story was one of my really long, grand stories, and I had another one coming up. This is it. It might not be as long as that story, but this will be longer than my other stories.**

**Before you read this story, you need to read my other story, The One that Got Away. This is like an indirect sequel to that story. It contains just a few important details from that story. They kick in at chapter 5, so if you didn't read that story you really should. Again, this is not like a sequel but it continues from where The One that Got Away took off.**

**One more note: I chose make it Larryboy's 16 anniversary since Larryboy and the Fib from Outer Space came out 16 years ago. Of course, it is just a number and the age logic doesn't matter.**

* * *

Chapter 1- Genius Never Sleeps

Archibald Asparagus, the British butler to Larry the Cucumber, was more than a guy in a tux.

He was the master mind behind every one of the cucumber superhero, Larryboy's gadgets and sends him information from the secret Larry-Cave, Larryboy's headquarters.

But today Archibald was acting not the same as he was before. It was early in the evening, and Archibald's eyes were wide open, despite the fact he was extremely tired. He was doused with sweat and was surrounded by gadgets and tools. About thirty new gadgets and gizmos were scattered around the Larry-Cave.

Larryboy soon walked in to the room Archibald was in. Larryboy was the proud superhero of Bumblyburg, who fought with his famous plungers at each side of his head. He stared at Archibald.

"Archibald? What are you doing?" Larryboy asked.

Archibald looked up slowly with a wide smile. "I have been making new inventions."

Larryboy looked around. "All of these? How long did it take to make them all?"

"Four days straight," Archibald said, turning a screw driver around to tighten up some kind of ray gun.

"Four days?!" Larryboy asked, "Did you get any sleep?"

"Nope," Archibald said, putting his screwdriver down and examined the newest machine.

"Why? How?" Larryboy asked surprised.

"I drank four gallons of coffee!" Archibald said happily, "And that dancing cactus over there has been entertaining me!" Archibald added, motioning to an empty corner of the room.

"Um Archibald," Larryboy said, "I think you should try to sleep."

"What?" Archibald asked, "Genius never sleeps! Look at everything I made! Inspiration struck me and I decided to make EVERYTHING!"

"So you were down here for four days straight?" Larryboy asked.

"Don't worry, Larryboy," Archibald said, squinting at some kind thing with a lever, "I'm putting the finishing touches on these things. I'll be there for your big anniversary celebration."

"Oh yeah!" Larryboy smiled, "I can't believe in two more days I would have been fighting crime for sixteen years!"

"Yes, it is very exciting! Erma wants to congradulate you." Archibald said.

"Erma?"

"The kiwi bird. She's friendly as long as you brush her whiskers," Archibald said, his right eye twitching.

"So are these all for me to use?" Larryboy asked.

"Not quite," Archie replied, "A lot of them are just new inventions. I can't let you use them all."

"What do they do?" Larryboy asked.

Archie quickly got up and picked up some of the gadgets.

"This one can make you jump really high," Archibald said, lifting up some kind of springy material. "And this one makes things invisible," Archie explained, lifting up a spray bottle full of some kind of liquid.

Then Archibald's tired and happy tone got serious. "This one makes what ever it zaps disintegrate. And this gives the person who holds it levitation. And this one can turn stuff into stone."

"Um Archie?" Larryboy interrupted, "Why would anyone need stuff like that?"

"Because Lory," Archibald began to explain.

"It's Larry."

"I'm just testing my genius range and see how advanced my mechanisms are. Isn't that right Derald?" Archibald said, looking to the side.

"Who's Derald?" Larryboy asked.

"The name of my pet chair. He's really helpful. And I love the way he barks at me." Then Archibald went on to showing off his inventions. He picked up a camera-like thing. "This device can allow you to go into someone's mind and erase one thought at a time. And this one enlarges things!" Then he picked up a red horn shaped thing. "This one will make instant ice cream!"

"Really?" Larryboy asked, "Can you make some now?"

Archie pushed a button and the machine started to vibrate and gurgle. Suddenly it just exploded.

Larryboy stared at Archibald, who was holding a burnt out machine while his face was black from the explosion. "Another failed invention I suppose," Archibald said sadly.

Larryboy noticed another invention, the biggest one around. It basically looked like a leaf blower.

"Archie, what does that one do?" Larryboy asked.

Archibald went up to it and picked it up. "I made this out of our old leaf blower. This is the most powerful invention I have ever created! It could bring the most ultimate power against someone. It could give anyone the biggest victory ever! Why, if this falls into the wrong hands, the whole world will change as we know it!" Archibald yelled before a long pause.

Larryboy looked up. "Archie?"

Archie fell asleep on top of the table he was standing near. He was hunched over the leaf blower.

Suddenly Larryboy remembered something.

"Superhero class! I almost forgot! I'm going to be late!" Larryboy ran out of the Larry-Cave until he got to his famous Larry-Mobile. Then he hopped in and drove away, making the tires squeal.


	2. SHUSH

Chapter 2- S.H.U.S.H.

Larryboy arrived just in time right before Bok Choy, the retired superhero who taught younger heroes, started his lecture. After Bok Choy's usual scoldings about Larryboy being late and how this is like the twentieth time he was late, Bok Choy continued his lecture.

"And that's why heroes don't reveal their secret identities," Bok Choy finished after the lecture was over. But he still had some announcements.

"Before you heroes go, I have two things to say," Bok Choy said as some students began to gather their books. "First of all, I would like to welcome our newest student- the Mirage Mistress!

Larryboy looked up and noticed he was sitting right next to her. She was wearing a red cape that surrounded her entire body, a red mask on her face, and she wore a crown on her head. "Thank you Bok Choy," she said with a deep voice with a rich accent.

"What's your superpower?" Larryboy asked. But before the Mirage Mistress could reply, Bok Choy moved on with his next announcement.

"Listen up young students. I have really big news. There is a new superheroes headquarters for all the superheroes to come together and meet up! It is called the Super Hero Union Secret Headquarters, or the S.H.U.S.H. for short," Bok Choy said excitedly.

All the heroes listened curiously.

"It was built underground with the most advanced superhero technologies," Bok Choy smiled, "All of the superheroes are invited to come down there together. We have a lot of superhero weapons and other things down there. We also have very important files stored there that contain imformation, such as the location of every superhero, what years they began and retired, even a list of every superhero's secret identity." All the superheroes gasped at this news.

"Don't worry! They are all locked up secure," Bok Choy explained, "I am only explaining this because we are all heroes here. Please do not try to talk about this while there are villains nearby." Then Bok Choy looked around and leaned over his desk. "And now how to get it. The headquarters is built underground right here in Bumblyburg. It is located in central Bumblyburg near the park. To get there, look for a yellow fire hydrant and turn left down an ally across that street. Look for a garbage can and climb inside. This particular garbage can will activate a face scanner and scan your face. If you are identified as one of the superheroes that are allowed in the headquarters (which you all are) the garbage can will activate an elevator to take you down there. This place was made for all superheroes to come together and plan and discuss things like team ups in a safe environment. Remember! Keep this secret safe! The S.H.U.S.H. opens tomorrow. Class dismissed!"

All the superheroes got up to leave. Some stay behind a little longer to talk.

"Hey Dark Crow," Larryboy said to the crow themed-superhero, "Are you going to the S.H.U.S.H. tomorrow?"

"Of course I am Larryboy!" Dark Crow replied," I'm going to show everyone my new Crow-jet! It will make me fly faster than ever before!"

"I'm going to bring me newly improved L.A.S.E.R.!" Scarlet Tomato joined in, "It's really cool! You should see it!"

"I have a new helmet!" Someone else said.

Soon a lot of students joined together,listing the new capes or weapons they had.

"Well I have this really cool superhero gadget too!" Larryboy said, "It could bring the ultimate power to anyone!" Larryboy said, remembering what Archibald's said. Now that everyone was bringing their new special superhero tools, why not show off that special leaf blower thing Archibald made?

"All right young heroes," Bok Choy said, shooing everyone out the door, "We can all see everyone tomorrow at the S.H.U.S.H.."

As the heroes left the classroom at the Bumblyburg Community College, Larryboy passed by the Mirage Mistress.

"Are you going to be there too?" he friendly asked with a smile, "We can introduce you to the other superheroes."

The Mirage Mistress replied, "Sure, thanks. And I would love to see that new gadget you have."

Larryboy walked down the hall of the college as the Mirage Mistress looked on from behind, smiling.

* * *

**So as you can see, I have a new OC superhero, Mistress Mirage.**


	3. Mother Knows Best

Chapter 3- Mother Knows Best

_EARLIER THAT DAY..._

The Bumblyburg prison was filled with inmates in black and white. Most of these people were super villains, all defeated by Larryboy, just plotting their revenge on how to escape from jail and how to get rid of Larryboy and rule over Bumblyburg.

Such particular villains in this prison was the Alchemist. He was a scientific carrot with robotic arms. His biggest dream is to destroy Larryboy forever. He's been in jail for about three months since his last breakout.

"Get us out of here, officers!" The Alchemist yelled, his hands pulling on the prison bars.

"Yell louder, Cubby!"

"Stop CALLING ME THAT!" the Alchemist yelled for the hundredth time. All the other inmates groaned, tired of that phrase.

"Come on, Cubby, just yell louder," the Alchemist's cell mate told him. She was an elderly onion in the same prison clothes as everyone else.

"I'm trying, mother!" the Alchemist cried. Yes it was true. He was in jail with his mother, Mother Pearl.

Both the Alchemist and Mother Pearl were nefarious villains in Bumblyburg. While the Alchemist was the scientist, his mother was the brains. And today she came up with a plan to get them both out of jail.

The plan was for Mother Pearl to pretend she was really sick. Then the police officers would take her away. From there, she would get her son out of jail.

"Get over here officers! It's an emergency!"Alchemist cried for the tenth time. Finally Officer Olaf came down to the cell.

"Whatch'a want?" the Swedish officer asked, annoyed.

"My poor mother has fallen ill," the Alchemist lied, "She needs urgent care immediately!"

"How do I know this is not a lie?" Officer Olaf asked.

"Please, just help her!" the Alchemist replied, "Look how poor and helpless and sick and needy and old-"

"Hey!" Mother Pearl yelled at being called old, even thought it was true.

"Anyway, please help my sick mother!" the Alchemist finished.

Officer Olaf looked at Mother Pearl. She was laying on a prison bed. "Please...help me," she whispered and coughed harshly.

"Ok then," the officer replied, convinced. Then he called over a couple other officers and they led Mother Pearl away.

As the Alchemist stayed behind, all the other villains sneered at him.

"Going soft, eh?" Greta Von Gruesome smirked.

"I can't believe you said please!" the Emperor laughed.

"Trying to care for your mommy?" Awful Alvin mocked.

"Hey I'm still as evil as always! It's all a lie to escape out of here!" the Alchemist explained. "Now here's a deal. When I destroy Larryboy, I'm coming back here to unleash all of you under one condition. I get to rule over Bumblyburg. I'll allow you guys freedom anyway to help me corrupt this town and give it to me."

"First of all, how do we know you will even destroy Larryboy?" Iceberg asked.

"Oh I will. You'll all see," the Alchemist said rubbing his robotic claws together, "and I will lead you all to get all the revenge you want. It's either your with me, or your on your own. Now this is the only time for you to take up my offer. Now who's accepting?"

The Alchemist looked around. All the villains murmured in agreement. The Alchemist smiled sinisterly. "Then its settled. We will all set out to destroy Larryboy. And it's about time. Didn't you hear the officers talking last night? It's that foolish cucumber's anniversary for being superhero for sixteen years in a couple days! We can't let him go on for sixteen more!"

Suddenly, a cop came walking down the hall. All the villains silenced about the plan. The cop knocked on the Alchemist's cell.

"You're being released," she said, unlocking the cell.

"Mother!" the Alchemist gasped. He was right. Mother Pearl was dressed up as a police.

All the villains realized this and groaned. They asked to be freed as well.

"Sorry guys," the Alchemist said, as he and Mother Pearl walked out, "I said I'll come by later."

Mother Pearl and the Alchemist made it back to their "secret" lair, which was a broken down mansion, which was also not much of a secret since Larryboy and about everyone in Bumblyburg has been there before.

"It's good to be home!" the Alchemist sighed. He and Mother Pearl also changed back into their regular villanous clothes

"So how did you get that police officer uniform?" the Alchemist asked.

"Simple. After they lead me away, I yelled, 'There's a sale on mustache wax outside!' Apparently, only two of them had mustaches, so the with the one who stayed. I just found some handcuffs and handcuffed him to a table (but this was hard since he was a carrot and carrots don't have hands). Then I stole his uniform and got you out," Mother Pearl proudly explained. Mother Pearl was, after all, a master of disguise.

"It's time to get to work!" the Alchemist said. Then he turned to his mother again. "Do you have a plan?"

"Of course I do, Cubby," she replied, "but first I have an errand to run. I'll be back later."

"All right. For now I have to clean up all these extra chemicals," the Alchemist said. Then he picked up almost empty beakers filled with different liquids and poured them together into one beaker.

"What are you doing?" Mother Pearl asked.

"Mixing these chemicals together. They could come in handy," the Alchemist said.

Mother Pearl said, "You better be careful with that. Because knowing you, there might be accidents. And poisoning someone is not even part of my plan. I don't need any extra things like that ruining it."

"Fine mother," the Alchemist grumbled, "I'll make a back-up antidote to all these dangerous chemicals, but I doubt I will need it. And what if the poison came in handy after all?"

Mother Pearl sighed. "Mother knows best." Then she turned around and left the room.


	4. Like Mother, Like Son

Chapter 4- Like Mother, Like Son

Later that night, the Alchemist tinkered around with his beakers at his hideout, the just-in-case-antidote done.

Suddenly, someone walked into the room. It was the Mirage Mistress herself. She just came from superhero class.

The Alchemist looked up and gasped at the sight of the superhero. "What? A superhero? How did you find my hideout? Who are you? Is Larryboy on vacation? You'll never defeat me! I'm not going to the slammer!" Then he aimed some kind of spray at her.

"Relax Cubby," the Mirage Mistress said.

"Mother?" the Alchemist gasped in shock.

The Mirage Mistress removed her mask, revealing Mother Pearl's face. Then she unwrapped herself from the long red cape, revealing her dark clothing again. The tiara remained on her head, as Mother Pearl used it even when she was not disguised.

"Why-why were you dressed as a superhero?" the Alchemist sputtered.

"It's part of my plan," Mother Pearl replied, "They have a superhero class at the community college and Larryboy goes there."

"So what is the plan?" the Alchemist asked.

"Well I went over there to spy on Larryboy, to see what goes on in that class. Then this old guy talks about a secret underground lair for all superheroes to come together. He even explained how to get down there. Only superheroes can go down, but if I'm disguised I can still get down there," Mother Pearl said.

"So what will you do there?" the Alchemist asked.

"I overheard Larryboy talking about bring the greatest weapon ever that is really powerful. I say I steal that and we can use it ourselves when we figure out how to use it," Mother Pearl replied.

"All those heroes in one big room," the Alchemist said, "As if Larryboy is not enough. What if we do defeat him what another superhero is just sent over to Bumblyburg?"

"I have that planned out as well," Mother Pearl said, "The lecture at the class explained how important secret identities are. Apparently superheroes have secret identities so they can live normal lives and protect the ones they personally love."

"Of course! If only we knew their identities, we could ruin all of their lives! But how would we know them all?" the Alchemist asked.

"Easy. There's a list of all the secret identities of all the superheroes. I can steal that as well," Mother Pearl said.

"If we find out who they really are, why not share them all to everyone in Bumblyburg?" the Alchemist said.

"Aw Cubby," Mother Pearl said, "You make me so proud! I remember when you became fully interested in the art of villany."

"I know, mother," the Alchemist said, remembering. "I deserved that science fair trophy for first place! So what if my poisonous telephone caused deafness? It was great!"

"So anyway," Mother Pearl continued, "We need to destroy all those superheroes! Not just Larryboy! I think we should lock them in that secret underground base and destroy it with them somehow. But right after we reveal who they are."

"Mother, you are a genius!" the Alchemist praised. Then he picked up a photograph of Larryboy the Alchemist scribbled a goofy mustache and a word bubble that said "I stink" on with a marker. He looked at it intimidated. "I'll find out who you are, Pickle Boy. Then I'll destroy you, after all these years." Then the Alchemist dropped the photo into a large beaker with a green liquid. The photo began to burn and disintegrate.

Then Mother Pearl and the Alchemist burst into evil laughs. Like mother, like son.

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**So in chapter two my OC was fake the whole time! I'm might be messing around like that more often! Lol.**

**I don't own Mother Pearl by the way.**

**So yeah, the Alchemist and Mother Pearl are the main villains. They are not my favorite but the story works the best with them. The other villains will just make cameos.**


	5. Undercover Lover

**Here is where the information from the One that Got Away kicks in. If you didn't read that yet, you really should before reading this chapter!**

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Chapter 5- Undercover Lover

The next day, Larryboy went to work, but not as Larryboy. Larryboy was really just mild-mannered Larry the Cucumber, janitor at the Daily Bumble, Bumblyburg's newspaper. It was not as gleaming as being a superhero, but he just has to do it. A newspaper office was the perfect place to know what is going on in Bumblyburg.

Today the office was buzzing. Larry listened to the conversations while he mopped the floor.

His heart started thumping when Vicki Cucumber, the Daily Bumble's famous photographist and journalist. Vicki was Larryboy's girlfriend. It has been six months since Larryboy saved Vicki from a villain in a robotic suit. Afterwards, they admitted their feelings with each other and started dating. They even kissed.

But the thing was that Vicki had no idea about Larryboy being the janitor at work everyday. She just could not know.

Suddenly, Bob the Tomato, the editor of the Daily Bumble, burst in. He called Vicki and Junior, the cub reporter of the newspaper, up to talk.

"Vicki, I have work for you to do! As we all know, tomorrow is the town's party for Larryboy's anniversary for defending Bumblyburg. They already have started putting the decorations up! Can you find out more about it?" Bob asked.

"I'll be right on it Bob," Vicki replied.

"This is going to be great!" Junior said excitedly, "Larryboy deserves it! He's been fighting for so long!" Then Junior turned to Bob. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Officer Olaf reported that the Alchemist and Mother Pearl escaped from jail last night," Bob said, "Maybe you can do a little report on that."

"Another villain escaped?!," the blonde cucumber panicked.

"What's wrong Vicki?" Junior the eight year old asparagus asked, "You weren't always that scared of escaped villains."

"Yes I know," Vicki said, "But ever since Larryboy and I started dating, it seemed like all the villains were out to get me, like I am a target. And it's so close to the anniversary. The villains might have something big planned."

Larry felt bad about that. Vicki was used as a target to lure Larryboy into a trap five times. It might have been easier getting Vicki to date his not hero self, but maybe it just would not have been as cool.

Bob's face light up. "Oh, you know how since you started dating that became like the hottest topic for the paper. Newspaper sales shot up so high! You never told me all the details! Tell me! How does it feel dating a superhero?"

"Bob!" Vicki playfully scolded, "This is a newspaper, not a gossip magazine!" Bob was taken aback at this. "Ok," Vicki smiled, "Dating Larryboy is great! He's just the guy for me!"

Larry smiled at this. He was so distracted he stopped mopping.

"It's just..." Vicki trailed off.

"Just what?" Junior asked. Everyone stared at Vicki and held their breaths. They all wanted to know.

"It's just that, well, you know how Larryboy wears a mask right?" Vicki asked. Everyone nodded.

"Well, I never saw what he looks like underneath. It's getting wierd since it has been months and he never told me. Have you ever wondered who Larryboy really is?" Vicki asked.

"Of course," Junior said, "It's a mystery."

"Boy, if I knew, we would have a bigger breaking news article than the one about when Mr. Mahoney made that fifty layer cake! And that caramel mint flavored layer was delicious!" Bob said excitedly.

"What about you Larry?" Vicki asked, turning around. Larry totally forget he was even there. "Who do you think Larryboy really is?"

"Umm," Larry muttered. How should he answer this?! "Well, maybe he's hiding it for a good reason." "Please let this excuse work!" Larry thought.

"He has a point," Junior said agreeing.

"He's also not always around," Vicki added, "I don't know where he lives or where he even goes to after defeating villains. Like that's the only time I actually see him besides our dates, which he never seems to have time for!"

"Being a superhero is a no-sitting-on-the-job job!" Larryboy retorted in his mind.

"Maybe we will know one day," Bob said, disappointed. "I could just imagine who he is. A hero like him? Maybe a brain surgeon or a mail man." Bob looked through his papers until he found an article with a photo of Larryboy in front. "He just reminds me of someone. Maybe if I held up a picture of him next to every person I know, then I might find out."

"Get out of there," Larry's conscience panicked, "Get out." Larry began to hurry across the room. He hoped it would be a while before anyone connected Larryboy to Larry the Cucumber.

"So when's you next date?" Junior asked.

"It's tonight," Vicki replied. "We are going to the park. We are planning to have a campfire and roast marshmallows together."

Larry's eyes widened. His date was tonight. He hoped to get all his superhero work out of the way. Then he remembered the S.H.U.S.H. was opening today!

"I'm going to start getting notes on the escape, Bob," Vicki called, "Soon you will have another great story in your paper."

"Thanks Vicki," Bob replied, "Where would we be without our top journalist?"

Vicki smiled. "As a journalist, I'll make sure people know the truth no matter what. That's what news is after all. Every secret untold."

Bob got up from his desk, accidentally causing papers to fly off his desk. Suddenly, a buzzing sound could be heard. "Oh no!" Bob yelled, "I dropped some of the articles that were supposed to be in tomorrow's paper into our new paper shredder." Bob opened the shredder and shifted through the paper shreds. "How...unprofessional," Bob groaned. Then he realized he made a mess. "Larry, can you clean this up"

Larry was about to leave the room to get a broom when Vicki walked up to him. "You know Larry, I just really want to know who Larryboy is. Do you think he will tell me if I asked?"

Larry quickly thought for an answer. "Why do you want to know so much?"

Vicki sighed. "I don't know. It's just that, I'm in love with someone and I don't know his real name."


	6. Stealing Spree

Chapter 6- Stealing Spree

The Alchemist cackled as he shook a smoking bottle full of a light blue liquid. Then he threw it. As the bottle exploded, a blue fog covered the store. The Alchemist and Mother Pearl put on gas masks as all the workers fell to the floor unconscious.

The wicked duo was in an electronic store. They were on a stealing spree.

They quickly picked up a camera, a giant white sheet, and a new projector, two big speakers, all complete with a bunch of wires. They piled it all into a (stolen) shopping cart. Also in the cart was a big box of 1000 big, fat fireworks. Do not ask where they got those.

Everything was going fine until the police started chasing them. Mother Pearl and the Alchemist ran until they wheeled their load into an ally.

"So what were these for?" the Alchemist asked.

"We will use these all later. For now," Mother Pearl said, picking up a red mask, "I have to go continue this stealing spree on my own. Watch the stuff Cubby, I'll be right back."

"Stop calling m-" the Alchemist said until he was interrupted by a passing policeman.

Meanwhile, Larry got back to the Larry-Cave and changed into Larryboy. Then he approached Archibald, still asleep and exhausted. His head still rest on the leaf blower.

Larryboy quickly pulled the leaf blower away from Archibald. Larryboy winced as Archibald's head hit the table, but Archibald continued to sleep.

Larryboy also noticed some blueprints nearby. He searched until he found the one with a drawing that looked like the leaf blower.

"Great!" he said, "This has instructions on how it works!" But before Larryboy was able to read them, he remembered about S.H.U.S.H.

"Ok," Larryboy said five minutes later, panting. He just got to the Bumblyburg park, which was surrounded by buildings. "The yellow fire hydrant's over there...then I have to cross the street to that ally!"

Larryboy quickly got to the ally, holding the leaf blower with the blue print stuffed inside. He jumped into a garbage can. He jumped again when it toppled over, and he shook some papers off his head. "There should be only one trash can so it will be less confusing."

Larryboy hopped into a mostly empty trash can and closed the lid. It was dark for a moment until the inside of the can glowed green. Larryboy looked around until he saw a screen infront of his face. A red laser spiraled across his face.

"Analyzing," a computerised voice said. Then the lasers turned off and a photo of Larryboy showed up on the screen. The word "superhero" showed up on the screen below it. "Larryboy," the voice said, "Superhero. Access granted."

Suddenly, Larryboy started moving downwards. He got lower and lower until he could see he was in a glass tube. From out of the tube, he could see the S.H.U.S.H. itself. It was a giant room with other few smaller but still large rooms branching from it. There was a giant screen on one wall of the room and other smaller screens in different places. White tables were in different places. There was also some other machinery and everywhere was different superheroes. Many people in different colorful costumes, masks, and capes, all around. It seemed more like a superhero convention.

Larryboy finally reached the ground, and a glass doors slid to the side. Larryboy stepped out, clutching the leaf blower, and looked around in awe.

Larryboy walked around until he saw a sign that said "Super Utilities." Larryboy followed the sign and went into the following room. He gasped in amazement as he saw many superhero weapons on display in a large glass case that took up most of the wall.

"Hey Larryboy," the Mistress Mirage said, coming up to him, "That thing looks cool."

"Yeah, it was made out of a leaf blower," Larryboy said.

"You should store it here in the utility room. You just go to an empty slot in the glass case and place it there. No one will steal it since we are all heroes here," she said.

Larryboy walked to an empty slot and pulled a small lever on the glass. The glass moved to the side and Larryboy carefully placed the leaf blower on a thin shelf. Then he accidentally dropped the blue print with the instructions on how to use the weapon. Larryboy stuffed it up the blower and flipped the switch back. As the glass closed, Larryboy looked up as a voice on an intercom announced, "It is now time for a complete tour of the S.H.U.S.H.. Come to the center room and wait for the tour to begin."

Larryboy left the room and came to the center room. There a bunch of superheroes were gathered together, being brought into different rooms.

Larryboy and the other superheroes passed by different rooms and inventions. They went through different rooms, one with a large table and chairs, another just an extreme gym for superheroes only. They also saw the S.H.U.S.H. mainframe, a big super computer that controlled all of the technologies in the headquarters.

"And now, for the last part of our tour," said a superhero leading the tour Larryboy was in. Then the superhero pulled a lever in a complete circle before the wall behind him opened up, revealing a secret room.

"This is the secret room containing top secret information," he explained. Then he motioned to a large screen on the wall. "All the information is stored up there. But we also have them stored in paper files," he said, looking at a large filing cabinet. "Ok, well that was the end of our tour. We hope you enjoy it here at the S.H.U.S.H."

As the heroes dispatched, only one stayed behind in the secret room- the Mirage Mistress.

She walked up to a cabinet and opened it up. She looked around it. Inside it was a filing folder for each superhero in the towns nearby. There was also one special folder that held a couple of sheets of paper. The folder had the word "classified" stamped on front. The Mirage Mistress read the folder, which said "Complete list of superhero secret identities." The Mirage Mistress smiled wickedly. She stuffed the folder inside her cape and left for the "Super Utilities."

A few minutes later, Larryboy and a bunch of the trainee superheroes were gathered in a group around Scarlet Tomato, burning a sheet of iron inside the When he finished, he turned to Larryboy.

"Hey, where's your gadget you said you were going to bring?"

"Oh yeah," Larryboy said. Then he turned around and went to where the leaf blower thing was begin stored. But his heart skipped a beat when he saw that the glass panel was open, and the leaf blower was gone!

Larry boy gasped. All the other superheroes came to him. "What's wrong?" Lemon Twist asked.

"My superhero weapon is gone!" he said in disbelief.

"I'm sorry to hear that," the Mirage Mistress said, coming up to him, "Try looking for it. It couldn't have gone that far." Then she turned around and left the room. Then she walked into the central room and went up the elevator.

Larryboy searched all over the S.H.U.S.H. for the leaf blower. But he just could not find it. How can it missing? What kind of superhero would take it?

Larryboy came to a room marked "Surveillance." All around were different computers either showing a list of cities that were patrolled by superheroes or footage of a crime happening in a city. Larryboy passed by a computer showing a list. He came back go it when he realized he saw Bumblyburg on that list. He read the top of the list- "Cities with Crime Active."

"Crime active?" Larryboy asked himself. It has been a week since the last villain striked. He used a mouse to click on Bumblyburg's place on the list. All the screens were touch screens, but they were completely useless since most of the superheroes had no hands.

A map pulled up of Bumblyburg. Central Bumblyburg had a red dot on it. Larryboy clicked on the red dot, activating the computer to find video surveillance of what was happening. A video of the Alchemist and Mother Pearl pushing a shopping cart and running from the police popped up. Larryboy decided the search could just continue later. He had a city to save!

Larryboy ran to the elevator and descended up. He sprang out of the garbage can and landed on the streets to see cops trying to catch the Alchemist and Mother Pearl. The Alchemist just threw red balls at them, which exploded on the officers, leaving them tangled in sticky red strings.

Larryboy ran up to Officer Olaf, struggling in the red strings. "Oh Larryboy! The Alchemist and his mother are running away with a cart of stolen items!"

"I am that hero!" Larryboy yelled, shooting a plunger to a building, swinging himself towards the duo.

Larryboy landed right in the shopping cart the Alchemist was pushing. The Alchemist yelled in surprise.

"Just running some errands Larryboy!" the Alchemist yelled.

"Get out of our cart!" Mother Pearl yelled

The cart suddenly tilted and crashed on its side. Boxes of the stolen stuff poured onto the pavement of a sidewalk as Larryboy and the Alchemist were thrown among the items. Mother Pearl quickly pushed the cart back up and piled everything back into the cart. "Come on Cubby!" she called.

The Alchemist got up, picked up a stray box, and made sure everything was back in the cart.

"Stop right there Cubby- I mean Alchemist!" Larryboy yelled after them.

Suddenly, the Alchemist pulled out the red sticky string balls and started to throw down. Larryboy tried to dodge them, only to get stuck to a street light. As the Alchemist laughed and began to run away again, a pair of scissors popped out pf Larryboy's utility belt, cutting him free. Then Larryboy fired another plunger and swung right in the way of the Alchemist and Mother Pearl. Then he tilted his head towards them, aiming a plunger.

"Return the items, Alchemist!" Larryboy threatened, "Or else you'll get the plunger!"

"Your plungers are no match for me!" the Alchemist laughed, "I, on the other hand," he said, lifting up a robotic claw, then looking at it. "Or, uh, on the other claw."

Then the Alchemist shoved around in the cart until he pulled something out. "Recognize this, Pickle-Boy!" he yelled, holding Larryboy's leaf blower thing.

Larryboy gasped at once. "Hey! Where did you get that?!"

"None of your business, Pickle-boy!" Mother Pearl snickered.

Then the Alchemist quickly pulled out the blueprints Larryboy stuffed up the leaf blower, read it quickly, and smiled. Then he turned the leaf blower back at Larryboy. He flipped it on "suck" and aimed it at Larryboy. Larryboy cringed back, expecting it to suck him in or something. But it did not. Larryboy just realized he never learned what the leaf blower did.

Instead, he just heard a computerized voice inside the leaf blower say, "Copying-Plunger Ears."

Next the Alchemist switched the leaf blower to blow. Then the leaf blower began to hum and shake. Suddenly, to Larryboy's surprise, a gigantic cordless-plunger shot at Larryboy, squashing him against the ground.

"See you around, Pickle-Boy!" Mother Pearl called as she and her son ran off. "And happy early anniversary!"

Larryboy pushed around under the large plunger that held fast to the ground. "Help! I'm stuck!" he yelled from beneath the plunger. When he finally pulled himself out from under the plunger, he saw the Alchemist and Mother Pearl push the cart away with his leaf blower, the exact leaf blower that Archie said would change the world as they knew it if it fell into the wrong hands. The exact leaf blower that somehow shot a gigantic plunger at him.

Archibald is not going to like this.


	7. King Cubby

Chapter 7- King Cubby

Soon the sun began to set. It was going to be dark soon, and it was time for Vicki and Larryboy's date. But for the third time, Larryboy was late.

Vicki understood. Dating a superhero was not easy. Larryboy always had a good explanation. The last two times were last month- the first being to have to save a crowd of people from a slime monster, the other was getting his head stuck in a small dog door after chasing the Emperor. But how would Larryboy explain losing a "dangerous" weapon to the Alchemist, all before his superhero anniversary?

"Maybe Archie was just exaggerating," Larryboy said to himself as he ran over to the park with a bag of marshmallows they were going to roast, "After all Archibald lost a lot of sleep. Maybe he was wrong." All that weapon ever did was just shoot a plunger at him. But it was bigger, maybe even better than his.

Now Larryboy was really late. When he got to where he and Vicki agreed on, no one was there. Vicki probably left him. Larryboy slumped in disappointment. There were times like these that ruined everything.

Larryboy remembered the day after he and Vicki got together. The newspaper screamed the corny title "LARRYBOY AND REPORTER EQUALS LOVE." Everyone was talking about it. Even Archibald could not stop talking about it. Vicki got asked a million questions from every single stranger. News got to all the villains in jail. Larryboy remembered Officer Olaf explaining what a riot it has been. All the criminals were taunting and jeering, have rioting conversations about Larryboy and Vicki.

Larryboy suddenly gasped. "What if another villain kidnapped Vicki?" he panicked to himself.

"Larryboy!" Vicki's voice called out.

Larryboy spun around to see Vicki, wearing dark coat over her usual pink attire, approach him in the shadows.

"Hey Vicki," Larryboy said, "Sorry I'm late...again. But I brought the marshmallows."

"It's ok, Larryboy," Vicki said, "But can we have our campfire someplace else? Like not in the open park?"

"What do you mean?" Larryboy asked.

"It's just that...I heard the Alchemist got out of jail...and I'm just feeling scared. I feel like we are being watched right now," Vicki said looking around.

Larryboy quickly looked around as well. "Don't worry. Maybe we can have a small campfire in a secret place." Then Larryboy looked and noticed the ally where the entrance to the S.H.U.S.H. was located. "Why don't we build a campfire in that ally? I don't think anyone would be there right now."

So Vicki and Larryboy carried sticks, firewood, and a bag of marshmallows over to the ally. Soon a warm fire lit up the dark area.

Larryboy and Vicki sat around the fire, holding out sticks with brown creamy marshmallows melting by the cackling fire.

"I can't believe it will be sixteen years of your crime fighting tomorrow," Vicki said.

"I know. It's great," Larryboy replied.

"You're the hero this town deserves," Vicki said, then she added dreamily, "You're my hero."

After a while, Vicki began to look nervous. "What's wrong?" Larryboy asked, "It's ok that you're scared. I'll protect you. I promise."

"It's not that," Vicki said, "It's just that...I have something important to ask you."

Larryboy froze. His stick froze in the fire. He automatically knew the question.

"Who...what's...where..."Vicki trailed off, not so sure how to ask the question. "Who are you?" she asked abruptly.

Larryboy stared back. "I'm...I'm...I'm Larryboy."

"No," Vicki said, "I mean, like who are you without the mask and the cape and plungers."

"Well...ummm," Larryboy hesitated, "I don't know how to answer that."

"Why not?" Vicki asked, "What's so secretive about it? What's wrong with not telling me?"

This was going in a bad direction. Larryboy knew since Vicki was reporter and all, it would not be easy telling her the greatest secret of all. But now Vicki and him were dating now, so maybe he could trust her...right? But how will Vicki react if she was told Larryboy was the clumsy janitor she saw everyday?

"Don't you trust me?" Vicki asked suspiciously.

"It might be better if you don't know," Larryboy replied.

"Come on, Larryboy," Vicki groaned, "I already have a list of secrets your keeping from me. It's been getting longer. You haven't even told me why you were late today."

"But why do you want to know so much?" Larryboy asked.

"Wait...what?" Vicki asked like she heard some kind of secret message.

"What?" Larryboy asked.

"What...what you just said," Vicki said, thinking, "Where did I hear that? Oh yeah. That's what this janitor asked me this morning. Nothing special, he's just a janitor."

"Uhhh..." Larryboy mumbled.

"Just tell me who you are!" Vicki abruptly said, "I NEED to know the truth! Why do you even do this? What are you hiding?!" Suddenly Vicki sounded like a papparazzi interviwer.

Larryboy remembered what Vicki said earlier. "As a journalist, I'll make sure people know the truth. That's what news is after all. Every secret untold."

"I'm just not so sure-" Larryboy began to say.

Suddenly, Vicki jumped as a pair of binoculars landed and shattered right next to her. Someone must have dropped it from above. They were being watched.

Vicki shivered in fear. She quickly looked at Larryboy. "You should probably get out of here," he told her.

"What about you?" Vicki asked.

"Just run! I'll handle it!" Larryboy told her. Vicki jumped up and ran away. Larryboy walked put of the ally and watched her leave.

Meanwhile, above the ally on the rooftop of a building, two people bumbled around.

"Careful Cubby!" Mother Pearl hissed.

"It's not my fault. I'm the one recording," the Alchemist replied, holding the camera they stole in his claws.

Suddenly, Larryboy heard something, causing him to jump. Archie was calling him through his plungers.

"Master Larry! Master Larry! We have a big problem! I just woke up and one of my inventions is gone! It was the leaf blower! This is an emergency! We need to find it before someone else does!" Archibald panicked.

"Ummm...yeah Archie," Larryboy replied looking around. "Funny story about that..." Larryboy quickly returned to the ally, put the campfire out and left.

"So how was recording Pickle-Boy and his girlfriend going to help us?" the Alchemist asked.

"Simple, Cubby," Mother Pearl began to explain, "If you are going to rule over Bumblyburg after we destroy that annoying cucumber, it will be much easier if we framed Larryboy!"

"Frame him? For what?" the Alchemist asked.

"Well as you can see we just video taped him making a campfire. So what if we blamed him for that building lighting on fire?" Mother Pearl asked.

"But Mother," the Alchemist said, "He put the campfire out. We even recorded him doing it."

"Just wait," Mother Pearl said, "And start recording." Then she slid down to the ally to where the firewood stood. Then Mother Pearl quickly rubbed the wood together, sparking a new fire. Then she took a couple sticks by their ends and threw them at the building behind her. Soon, a large fire began to consume the building.

"Let's get out of here, Cubby!" Mother Pearl called.

Later on, Mother Pearl and the Alchemist were back at their lair. They uploaded their video on their stolen computer.

"I don't get it," the Alchemist said, "We can see you lighting the building up."

"Hold on," Mother Pearl replied. After a few clicks, she finished. "Now watch."

Instead of the video showing Larryboy putting out the fire, it cut from when Larryboy left to watch Vicki to footage of the building burning down.

"This is perfect," Mother Pearl said, "If we show everyone this, they will see Larryboy as a criminal for being responsible for a fire. We can show this along with when we reveal all the nearest superheroes' identities. All tomorrow."

"Larryboy's last anniversary. This will be great," the Alchemist cackled.

"We will have to get everything else ready," Mother Pearl said, laying out a map of Bumblyburg. She pointed a pointing stick at central Bumblyburg."We have to set up the new projector and white screen we have. They will be like the ones we already have," Mother Pearl said, looking at where their smaller screen and old projector sat in the corner.

"Wait, why didn't we just use our old projector instead of going through the trouble of stealing a new one?" the Alchemist asked.

"Well, for one thing, you were the klutz who destroyed it!" Mother Pearl scolded, picking up the old projector, which was covered in a brown sticky dried up liquid."

"Being an evil scientist who does alchemist is not a 'clean' job! Besides, that was somewhat the result of what happened during your last plan to stop Pickle-Boy!" the Alchemist argued, "So what is a bigger projector and screen for?"

"But we will have everyone see the screen. We should hang the screen on that building over here," she said, circling a building with a marker, " and place the projector on that building across from it. From there we broadcast ourselves using the camera and computer," Mother Pearl finished explaining, "Do you understand, Cubby?"

"Yes, mother," he replied, "But how are we going to destroy the other superheroes?"

"Don't forget the fireworks," Mother Pearl answered, "I'll place them down there and lure all the heroes there. I'll say I'm having a party for all the superheroes."

"But what about the party that's already going to happen?" the Alchemist asked, "Larryboy's big celebration that will honor him."

"But if that party is ruined," Mother Pearl said slyly, "I can say I'm throwing a replacement party just for superheroes. This is where you come in."

"Yay."

"I need you to show up with Larryboy's gadget we stole and ruin the celebration," said Mother Pearl, "I'll then get all the superheroes, including Larryboy, to get locked in their little headquarters with all those fireworks. Then we broadcast, reveal all the superhero identities from the stolen list, then light the fireworks, all the superheroes are destroyed along with Larryboy, and you will rule over Bumblyburg. After that, we show the video of Larryboy lighting that building on fire so no one will miss Larryboy, making them more miserable, and make sure there are no rebellions in the future. We cannot miss the chance to stop any uprisings later on."

"But why are we using fireworks instead of actual bombs?" the Alchemist asked.

"Well fireworks will be much easier to sneak into the superheroes' hideout. And if two thousand bombs went missing, police duty would be high," Mother Pearl explained.

"Couldn't I have just made bombs?" asked the Alchemist.

"Fireworks, Cubby! We are going with the fireworks!" Mother Pearl scolded.

"All right then! This plan cannot fail!" the Alchemist said excitedly. "Soon we will no longer that incompetent cucumber around anymore!" the Alchemist said, waving around a purple piece of cloth. It was one of Larryboy's capes that the Alchemist stole during their last encounter with Larryboy. He excitedly tore it in half and began stomping on it.

"You'll make a great king, Cubby," Mother Pearl cooed.

"Stop calling me that!" the Alchemist yelled. But King Cubby does have a nice ring to it after all.

* * *

**So here's the Alchemist and Mother Pearl's plan if you got confused:**

**The Alchemist destroys Larryboy's party so Mother Pearl disguised as a superhero lures all the superheroes into the S.H.U.S.H. and traps them in with a bunch of fireworks. Then they start a broadcast revealing the superhero identities then blow up the S.H.U.S.H. killing all the superheroes. Then after Larryboy is dead and the Alchemist took over, they show everyone the fake video so no one will get sad about Larryboy and the chances of a revolution is lowered. If you're still confused, pm me or something because I the best explainer! But the smaller details of the plan will be revealed later!**


	8. Let's Call It Oswald

Chapter 8- Let's Call it Oswald

"WHAAAAAAAAT?!" Archibald screeched. Larry returned to the Larry-Cave and told Archie everything that happened the whole day.

"You lost the OCWAD ZE.126 2.0?!" Archibald yelled," And to the Alchemist?!"

"I told you not to get mad," Larry said,"And the OC-what?"

"That's the prototype name," the Archibald said, then he pulled up a blueprint. "Since you also lost the blueprints that contained the instructions on how to use the OCWAD ZE.126 2.0 to the Alchemist, it's a good thing I made a spare."

"Can we just call it Oswald?" Larry asked.

"Look at this," Archibald said, raising the blueprints up, "See? Inside that old leaf blower was a mini super computer, another spare we had. It analyzes what ever an attacker is using and produces a better copy of it. Whatever you use against...Oswald, Oswald will analyse it and use it against you. Like when you were fighting the Alchemist. You were threatening to use your plunger ears when Oswald shot out a bigger, stronger plunger at you. A better copy. Do you get it?" Archibald asked.

"So does this mean I can't use my plungers against the Alchemist as long as he has Oswald?" Larryboy asked.

"Not only you," Archibald replied, "If another superhero tries to laser the person with Oswald, that person could just use Oswald to get a stronger laser. Or if a superhero uses levitation, Oswald could just give the person holding Oswald that power, but stronger. Even simpler people like a policeman's taser. Oswald grants the most power anyone could have, making them invincible."

"Why would you make this thing, Archie?" Larryboy asked.

"I don't know," Archibald replied, really frustrated, "It just came to me."

"What, did Derald the chair give you that idea?" Larryboy asked.

"Genius! It was genius talking!" Archibald said.

"Is genius another word for crazy?" Larryboy asked.

"Look, I was up for four days! Maybe it was the coffee! I was just testing out if I could build more than just a computer! Besides, I never said it was for you to use! You were the one who lost it!" Archibald said.

"I didn't think the Alchemist would steal it! It was locked up in the S.H.U.S.H.! I thought everyone was sworn to justice since everyone there were superheroes. I thought I could just trust everyone!" Larryboy explained.

"Trust everyone?" Archibald sputtered. "After the Alchemist somehow stole the most powerful weapon from a secret headquarters underground, I think you should just trust _no one_!"

"Trust no one?" Larryboy asked, "Then...not even Vicki?"

Archibald was confused. "What do you mean?" The subject suddenly changed.

"Today Vicki kept asking who my secret identity is at our campfire," Larryboy explained, "I kept stalling until we realized we were being watched."

"Do you think you trust her enough?" Archibald asked.

"I don't know," Larryboy said, "She's a reporter. Even though we are dating, I feel like it might be too hard for her to keep my secret. Especially since I'll be right there at her job while she's busy writing news stories. And what if she doesn't seem to like me afterwards. She's seems more impressed by Larryboy than Larry the Janitor. Maybe it's not that I don't trust her, but I'm not so sure what she will think."

"That's hard. Of course, being a superhero has it's price. I think you will figure out what to do. I hope this won't ruin your party tomorrow," Archibald said.

Larryboy's face lit up. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot!"

"You deserve it Larryboy. Sixteen years well spent. I am proud to be your partner in crime fighting," Archibald said happily.

"I have a bad feeling about it though," Larryboy said, "What if, after everything that happened so far, it gets ruined?"

"I doubt it, Master Larry," Archibald said, "Maybe the villains will lay low for once, too busy planning to actually do anything. And if one does attack, what other way to celebrate what you do best?"

"But the Alchemist has Oswald right now," Larryboy said, bringing that topic back.

"I know, but maybe my wiring was a bit off or something?" Archibald said, trying to cheer Larryboy up, "Don't worry. I promise I'll be by your side. At least you can trust me!"

Larryboy smiled. There was no doubt in that.


	9. The Party Crasher

**Here's the next chapter! I know I usually post two chapters at once, but for now it's just one chapter. Not an important reason, I have most of the next chapters ready. I will start posting two chapters at a time next time I update this story. So enjoy! This chapter is where the action is!**

* * *

Chapter 9- The Party Crasher

The park was filled with balloons, and streamers decorated every building. A band played music from the band shell, happy to have the honor of playing at this event. A big cake that said, "Thank You Larryboy!" sat on a table. Everyone gathered together at this great celebration. And a big white screen covered a building.

Larryboy's sixteenth anniversary party was all set up. Everyone was excited, waiting for Larryboy to arrive in the Larry-Mobile.

Even two certain criminals were excited. At the moment, the Alchemist and Mother Pearl stood on top of the Daily Bumble. The night before they put up the white screen on a building, with everyone else thinking there was going to be some kind of special presentation for Larryboy. Then the Alchemist and Mother Pearl had to set up a projector on the building across from the screen, which happened to be the Daily Bumble.

The Achemist and Mother Pearl had their computer, camera, box of fireworks, Oswald, projector, speakers, and the list of the superheroes' identities with them. They had one problem-the projector had to be plugged in.

"We were so close!" the Alchemist freaked out, "Why can't there be any outlets on a roof?"

"Relax Cubby," Mother Pearl said, "I have a plan. We could just go to the floor below us and plug the projector in there. And anyway, you still have to crash the party first. While you defeat Larryboy, I will move everything downstairs. Then I will show up as a superhero and tell Larryboy we can have a new party for him in the S.H.U.S.H. and I'll find a way to call all the superheroes down there. You try to sneak away and get back here and start broadcasting."

The Alchemist agreed and then looked down. "Look!" he said, pointing to streets. The Larry-Mobile pulled up. All the citizens cheered and ran to it.

Soon, Larryboy jumped out, with Archibald behind him. The crowd went wild. The party was about to be started.

Mayor Fleming stood at a podium on a stage, holding a microphone. "We would like to thank you, Larryboy, for sixteen years of protection and justice." Soon she rang out a short speech about Larryboy. Then people came up, one by one, each giving a speech, each speech applauded loudly by the crowd. Even Archibald made a speech.

"I have never met a superhero like Larryboy," Archibald spoke, his eyes shining with happiness, "He surpises me with how great he cares for this city and the people who live in it."

Soon the crowd went even crazier when Larryboy went up to the podium.

"Thank you all for this great celebration," Larryboy said, remembering his speech and Archibald went over while on the way to the party. "I am glad to be your superhero, and will hope to keep Bumblyburg safe for many more years."

"Many more years," the Alchemist muttered, "There better not."

"Cubby," Mother Pearl said, "I think they had enough of this party." Then she picked up Oswald and handed it to the Alchemist. "It's time."

"Yes," the Alchemist said, agreeing. Then he grabbed Oswald, turned around, and went down the elevator located on the roof.

"Thank you, Larryboy. Bumblyurg honors you as a leader in justice. Now let the celebration begin!" Mayor Fleming declared.

"Not so fast!" Everyone turned around to see the Alchemist, aiming Oswald at Larryboy. "This city will be mine! So you better hand it over, mayor!" he yelled.

"Uh...uh..." Mayor Fleming trembled.

Larryboy jumped in front of her at the podium. Then he gasped when he saw the Alchemist holding Oswald. "Hey!"

"Oh sorry Larryboy," the Alchemist said sarcastically, "Do you want this back?"

Larryboy shot a plunger towards Oswald. Then he remembered why that was not a good idea.

The Alchemist flipped Oswald to suck and them back at blow. Giant plungers shot out at Larryboy.

The crowd fled in horror, ducking every plunger. They watched from afar, leaving just the Alchemist and Larryboy in the park with Oswald.

The Alchemist fired plungers everywhere. Soon they were everywhere. The Alchemist finished Larryboy off with a final plunger, which sent Larryboy flying off onto a building.

Larryboy groaned as he struggled to push the plunger off him. When he got down, his face landed right next to a yellow fire hydrant.

Yellow fire hydrant! Larryboy realized the entrance to the S.H.U.S.H. was right behind him. He could get some help. Bok Choy did say it was a good place to plan out team-ups.

Larryboy quickly ran to the trash can and was lowered down into the S.H.U.S.H. again. He looked around. Then he found his friends.

"Guys!" he panted, "I need help!"

"Happy anniversary, Larryboy," Dark Crow said, like he did not hear with Larryboy said.

"Yeah, can we come to the party?" Scarlet Tomato asked.

"There won't be a party unless you help me stop a villain. He has my superhero weapon, and it is really powerful," Larryboy explained.

"Sure," Lemon Twist said, "We have some free time."

"Can Electro-Melon come too?" the giant watermelon with electric charges flying around his body asked.

"Sure," Larryboy replied, "I need a lot of help."

"Let me help too," the Mirage Mistress said, coming up to Larryboy.

"But what's you superpower?" Larryboy asked.

Suddenly, the whole S.H.U.S.H. began to shake. Loud thuds could be heard from above.

"C'mon, let's go!" Larryboy said.

All six heroes jumped into the elevator and went up. They all sprang out of the trash can.

The Alchemist looked around, looking for Larryboy. "You can't hide forever, Pickle-Boy," he muttered.

Suddenly, his eyes saw Larryboy and the other superheroes. He gasped as they started their attack and surrounded him.

"Your surrounded, Alchemist," Larryboy said, "Surrender that leaf blower and you can return to prison without a fight."

"Without a fight?" the Alchemit snorted, "I think the fight's just getting started."

"Ok guys," Larryboy said, "Whatever you do, be careful not to use your powers against-"

"Feel the wrath of my L.A.S.E.R.!" Scarlet Tomato shouted.

"No! Wait!" Larryboy yelled.

As soon as Scarlet Tomato fired his L.A.S.E.R., a bigger, brighter laser shot out of Oswald. The heroes quickly dispatched as the laser quickly cut through where they stood. They all leaped into a different direction, quickly thinking of their own plan.

The Scarlet Tomato quickly dodged the lasers, and tried to fire his own again. Soon the bright pink light from what looked like a satellite on his head pushed against the larger, spotlight-like laser from the Achemist.

The Alchemist, with a determined look on his face, continued to let Oswald laser the tomato.

Soon, the Scarlet Tomato's laser began to huff and spark. The laser exploded, leaving him vulnerable to Oswald's laser. He was pushed into the ground, where he lay in a patch of burnt grass, his scarlet mustache singed.

The Alchemist turned around to see a small tornado zooming towards him. It knocked him back into a fountain. As the Alchemist spewed water out of his mouth, he saw the tornado dissolved, revealing Lemon Twist.

The Lemon again formed a tornado, bigger this time, and went up to the Alchemist. The Alchemist flipped the leaf blower to suck, then blow again. This time the leaf blower really did begin to blow, stronger than a F5 tornado (which never happened until now). This was the closest thing to a real leaf blower Oswald ever did.

The winds blew towards Lemon Twist, almost as if the stronger winds destroyed Lemon Twist's tornado. The superhero concentrated really hard and pushed all the air around her towards the Alchemist. Instead, this made Oswald even stronger. Lemon Twist was sent spiraling backwards and crashed into a building. She slid down on her back, her glasses cracked.

Larryboy watched this from nearby. This was not going as he hoped.

Suddenly, Electro-Melon began to electrocute the Alchemist. As the Alchemist was being shocked, he tried to control Oswald. His claw slowly made it's way to the switch. Soon sparks flew from Oswald's tube. Bright sparks flew around the Alchemist and Electro-Melon.

"Electro-Melon...need...more...POWER!" the melon roared.

Suddenly, there was a big explosion. As the smoke faded away, Electro-Melon, now his smaller pepper-self, was covered with burns. As for the Alchemist, he was somewhat burned, but not as bad. He was still standing.

He got a surprise when something flew past him. "Give up that leaf blower, or face the crow!" Dark Crow yelled. Then he whipped out his famous Crow-Bar. The Alchemist smiled and flipped the switch on Oswald. A larger Crow-Bar grew out of Oswald's blow tube.

"Hey, my Crow-Bar is copyrighted!" Dark Crow exclaimed. Then he was crushed by the larger Crow-Bar.

The Alchemist laughed as Oswald returned to normal. "Who's left?" he asked.

"I...AM...THAT...HERO!"

The Alchemist yelled in terror as Larryboy swung towards the Alchemist, knocking him down. Larryboy stood over the Alchemist, who looked back up. "I believe you have something that does not belong to you," Larryboy scowled.

The Alchemist slowly raised Oswald up to Larryboy's face. Larryboy's face dropped. "Oh dear."

Giant plungers hit Larryboy every second. Larryboy was pushed back as he tried to pull every plunger off. Soon, Larryboy was covered by plungers except for by his face.

"This city will be mine!" the Alchemist cackled. Larryboy shot the mouth of the leaf blower with a plunger, plugging Oswald up. The Alchemist struggled to shoot his own plunger out.

Larryboy turned his head to see the Mirage Mistress standing nearby. "Hey Mirage Mistress! Get him while he is distracted!"

The Mirage Mistress ran towards the Alchemist. "You're going down!" the Alchemist said triumphantly. The Mirage Mistress glared at him, making him shrink back. Then she lifted her big red cape. Surprisingly, the Alchemist and Oswald were both caught up in the cape, which seemed to have been unravelled to become larger.

"Wow!" Larryboy said, pulling himself out of the pile of giant plungers, "So that's your super power! Your cape is really a mirage that makes things disappear!"

"Yes," the Mirage Mistress said slyly, "That's what is."

"Mother!" the Alchemist hissed from inside the cape.

"Relax," the Mirage Mistress replied, "I'll sneak you over to the Daily Bumble and I'll take care of the superheroes. When I come back, we broadcast!"

Meanwhile, all the hiding people came out. They were upset the party was ruined now.

"Thanks guys," Larryboy said, coming up to the now beaten up Dark Crow, Scarlet Tomato, Lemon Twist, and Electro-Melon lay, "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Sure Larryboy," Lemon Twist groaned, "Glad to help."

"Just, maybe next time, tell us what we are up against," Scarlet Tomato mumbled.

"Well hey, I was explaining to you-" Larryboy began to explain.

"I think there's an exclusive emergency room for superheroes in the S.H.U.S.H.," Dark Crow said, "We're going to drag ourselves down there now. Happy anniversary, Larryboy!" Then they all limped towards the ally.

"I'm sorry about you party, Pickle- I mean, Larryboy," the Mirage Mistress said after stopping in front of the Daily Bumble for a minute, "I have an idea. I will throw you a special heroes only party in the S.H.U.S.H. and call all the superheroes around to come. You can party with us until they get everything fixed up here. I even have decorations," she said, pulling a red rod with a string attached to it. Little did Larryboy know, that it was a firework.

"Sure! Thanks Mirage Mistress! I'll be right down!" Larryboy said. Then the Mirage Mistress headed for the garbage can elevator.

"Larryboy!" Larryboy looked up. He saw Vicki running towards him. When she got to him, he was at a side of a building. The garbage elavator was on the other side of it.

"Are you ok?" Vicki asked, "The fight was crazy! I was up at the Daily Bumble watching from my boss' office. I got it all down on a piece of paper. Front cover tomorrow!" she said, "I'm sorry about your party. While they get everything fixed up, why don't we just have sometime for ourselves?"

"That would be fun but the other superheroes kinda invited me to a party themselves," Larryboy explained.

"Can I come with you?" Vicki asked.

First, Larryboy could not tell who he was, and now this. Revealing his identity was one thing. Revealing the hiding place of every superhero was another.


	10. Just a Mirage

**Before you read the next two chapters, here's one thing you should know: I almost lost this entire story.**

**I was writing this whole thing on my Nook Color. I had the next six and a half chapters ready, and some of them were just written the same day the app I was using to write suddenly breaks down and I could not open it anymore. I had to email the developers for help, and when they told me how to get a back up of all the stuff I wrote, I just get a long document full of everything I wrote. But the problem was that all the text was scrambled into different paragraphs. So I turned on Japanese music (which makes me work more excitedly) and spent four hours sorting through the document just to get all the chapters back together and back in order again- luckily I was at a place where that was all I could do.**

**So yeah, I got mad.**

**There might be a few typos, since not every part of the chapters were found, so I had to rewrite some parts and there may be some words or paragraphs missing. Bear with me as I try to fix this.**

**Please review for all my hard work. Actually, you better review! (Yes, I'm still a little mad) Or else you will _DIE_...of impatience because I might decide to wait a little longer until I post the next chapters lol!**

**And you won't like that because if you read my earlier stories, you know I always _ALWAYS_ leave off at cliffhangers...**

* * *

Chapter 10- Just a Mirage

The Alchemist walked into the lobby of the Daily Bumble on the first floor as he watched the Mirage Mistress walk away.

"Wait! Mother!" the Alchemist yelled after her.

"What is it, Cubby?!" she asked.

"Can we use this for anything?" the Alchemist asked. Then he held up a glass bottle with a black liquid in it. It was the poisonous mix of chemicals he made two days before.

"What? Why do you have that with you?" Mother Pearl asked.

"Just in case. Can't this be useful for anything?" the Alchemist asked.

"No! I have everything all planned out already! Besides, everything and everyone will be destroyed with our current plan! So that stuff is only useful for being useless!" the Mistress Mirage scolded. Then she turned around and left, her long red cape swishing behind her.

Then the Alchemist walked into an elevator and pushed the button that led to the roof. After he gathered all the supplies except the wireless speakers, which he left on the roof, he went down to the top the Alchemist found an outlet and plugged the projector in. Then he opened the a small window on the room and placed the projector there. After setting up the computer and camera, and connecting everything together, he heard voices.

"Can you believe my office was the perfect spot to watch that big fight?" Editor Bob said, walking into the room with a cup of coffee.

"Yeah!" chimed Junior, "I wonder what happened to the... Alchemist!" he yelled when he saw the Alchemist standing in the room.

"Hey! What are you doing in my office?!" Bob asked.

"That's not important," the Alchemist said, lifting up the red sticky string balls in one Bob and Junior could run, they were covered in the sticky red string, stuck to the wall. The Alchemist just laughed. Then he reached for the camera and pressed record.

Meanwhile, Larryboy and Vicki were talking by the side of a building.

"I'm sorry Vicki, but it's at a top-secret superhero only place," Larryboy explained, "I can't take you with me. It might be against the rules."

"What do you mean?" Vicki asked.

"Maybe we can see each other during the party here," Larryboy said.

"Wait a minute," Vicki said, "You're ditching me! You don't want to be with me now, do you?"

"What?" Larryboy asked, "No! I'm just going to be somewhere else."

"Then why don't you tell me where this 'party' is then?" Vicki asked angrily.

"Because it's a secret," Larryboy replied.

"Oh, like I haven't heard that one before!" Vicki exclaimed, "Where do you live? It's a secret. Where do you store your superhero gadgets? It's a secret! Who are you?! It's a secret! You are always leaving me with questions like this! Just another moment when you are ditching me for another one your secrets!"

"Well, superheroes are very...secretive," Larryboy said, thinking to himself.

"But we've been together for six months! So why can't you share anything with me?" Vicki asked, getting suspicious.

"It's just that there are some top secret information that it would be better if you did not know. If the superheroes told anyone, it could somehow get to a criminal and all peace and justice we know would be gone," Larryboy explained.

"Oh..." Vicki trailed off, "I didn't know how hard it would be." Then she sighed, a frown on her face. "If it's hard for us to be together, to be like this, maybe...we shouldn't."

"What?" Larryboy asked, "We can work something out."

"No," Vicki sighed, "If you have to protect such information for the greater good, maybe it would be best if we...were apart." Then she whispered, "I'm sorry." She seemed really sad and innocent all of a sudden. Little did Larryboy now that it was just a cover up- she was faking it...half of it at least.

Larryboy was silent. "Can I really trust you?" Larryboy asked.

"Of course you can trust me," Vicki said, brightening.

"You won't tell anyone?" Larryboy asked.

Vicki nodded, her eyes locked in his."Promise. I'll do anything to help. It will be my secret too."

Larryboy stared at her. Even though she said she will do anything to protect the secret, she also said she will do anything to make sure everyone knew the truth. Still, maybe he can trust her after all. He took a deep breath. All the secrets were about to known-

"Hello Bumblyburg!" a voice rang out, interrupting Larryboy, who secretly was relieved. Both Larryboy and Vicki looked up. So did everyone else nearby. Vicki and Larryboy ran back into the park to see the Alchemist's face on a screen.

"You might have thought I was gone, but look, I'm still here!" the Alchemist said, waving. "Now before I become the supreme ruler of Bumblyburg, I will first reveal to you something you should all know. It's about all those superheroes!"

Everyone mumbled about being confused, not so sure what the Alchemist was taking about. "All those heroes out there may not be who they say they are," the Alchemist snickered, "Did you ever wonder who they really are behind the mask and capes?"

Soon everyone murmured in agreement. Vicki looked at Larryboy, who was not so sure where this was going. He looked nervously side to side.

"Well I have a complete list right here!" the Alchemist said happily, holding the list up. Everyone gasped, surprised.

"No!" Larryboy yelled.

"Yes!" the Alchemist said, waving the list around.

"I can't let him do this!" Larryboy told Vicki.

"Why not? You were about to tell me this anyway," Vicki said, oblivious to the real problem.

"Yeah, to just you! Now everyone will know! The other criminals are probably listening as well!" Larryboy panicked.

"I'll read every name on this list!" the Alchemist said, "And we will all know who all those heroes are! Even Larryboy!"

Everyone in the crowd looked at Larryboy. This was getting worst.

"And let me say happy anniversary, Pickle-Boy-," the Alchemist said, then added, "Not! And it has not been a good run!"

Larryboy glared at the Alchemist's teasing face.

"Hey! He's in the Daily Bumble!" Vicki pointed out when she saw Junior and Bob tied up in sticky string.

"Let's go!" Larryboy said, firing a plunger to the Daily Bumble roof while holding on to Vicki. Then they ran into the elevator on the roof.

"Now, let's start shall we?" the Alchemist said, unfolding the list. Just as he was about to read it, he was interrupted this time.

"Stop right there Alchemist!" Larryboy yelled. The Alchemist looked up to see Larryboy and Vicki run out of the elevator nearby.

"Junior! Bob!" Vicki yelled, running towards the tied up duo. She tried to pull the sticky ropes away.

"Larryboy! How- Why- what are you doing here?!" the Alchemist asked in shock.

"I'm here to stop you, Alchemist!" Larryboy yelled.

"But why aren't you locked up like the other superheroes?" the Alchemist asked in shock.

"Because I- wait, what?" Larryboy asked.

"Never mind! I'll still read this!" the Alchemist yelled.

Just then, Larryby shot a plunger at the list in the Alchemist's hand. Then he pulled it back, away from the Alchemist reach.

"No!" the Alchemist yelled. Then he ran up to Larryboy, trying to get the list back. He jumped into Larryboy, falling backwards. They fell back into a trash can and Bob's paper shredder. Garbage and strips of paper spilled everywhere. The Alchemist lay on top of Larryboy, his robotic arms flailing and waving the list around.

Larryboy pushed the Alchemist's robotic arm off his face, took the list and slipped it into the shredder. The shredder buzzed as the list turned into tiny stripes.

"What have you done?" the Alchemist yelled, opening the shredder, dumping the paper stripes on to the floor.

"Looks like your plans have failed once again!" Larryboy said.

Just then, the Mirage Mistress walked into the room. She was surprised to see Larryboy.

"Larryboy! Why aren't you at your party I planned for you!?"

Larryboy just realized he never got to his party at the S.H.U.S.H. The talk with Vicki and now this situation made him forget.

"It doesn't matter. All those other superheroes will still be destroyed!" the Mirage Mistress cackled.

"What's going on?!" Larryboy asked.

Just then, the Mirage Mistress removed her red mask and cape, revealing Mother Pearl.

"Mother Pearl? What did you do to the Mirage Mistress?!" Larryboy asked.

"I am the Mirage Mistress! It's amazing what you could do with a really big red blanket!" Mother Pearl said, taking the blanket off. "I was around the whole time and you never noticed. That's how I got this!" she said, lifting up Oswald.

"You're the one who stole Oswald!?" Larryboy asked.

"Yes! And now," she said, turning to the Alchemist, giving him a lighter and a long string that led from out a window in another room. The string actually hung across the park and trailed down into the ally where the garbage elevator was.

"I filled 2000 fireworks inside the S.H.U.S.H.! And now it will be destroyed!" Mother Pearl laughed. Then she turned to the Alchemist. "Light it up, Cubby!"

"You know, mom. I still have my chemicals" the Alchemist said to her.

"Stick to the plan, Cubby!" she yelled.

"Why can't I do anything cool?" he whined.

"I'm letting you light the fireworks, aren't I?" Mother Pearl said.

"But...how...what about the other superheroes! How did you trap them?" Larryboy asked.

Mother Pearl laughed again. "So gullible! But I might as well quickly explain it to you."


	11. A Fire in the Works

Chapter 11- A Fire In the Works

_ABOUT TEN MINUTES AGO..._

The Mirage Mistress has just sent invites to every superhero around. Using the S.H.U.S.H. mainframe, she sent a message to every superhero, telling them about a big party in the S.H.U.S.H. Soon the entire headquarters was full of superheroes.

The Mirage Mistress was soon busy hanging "decorations" every. She hung fireworks all over the walls, the roof, and placed them in different places as well. She told everyone they were "special, one of a kind, decorations" and everyone believed her. Each decoration was connected by a very long string.

Then the Mirage Mistress was very busy at the mainframe again. But she was not sending invites. She was hacking.

"From this mainframe, you can activate the controls of the S.H.U.S.H.," she remembered the tour guide explaining just yesterday, "Of course, since we are all superheroes here, we trust that no one would use these controls for evil." But that was exactly what she was doing.

"Attention everyone!" the Mirage Mistress announced, "The party will soon begin!" Everyone cheered.

"And by that I mean you will all die!" the Mistress Mirage cackled. Then everyone gasped as she pulled off her mask. "I have altered the S.H.U.S.H. controls! Now, even though the elevator will stay open," she said, motioning to the open elevator, I have commanded the mainframe to not let anyone out except me! And don't try changing the controls because I locked it!"

"Maybe the open control panel was a bad idea," one superhero said.

Then Mother Pearl left the S.H.U.S.H. without a struggle, leaving a trail of firework string.

Then all the superheroes ran to the elevator, but suddenly, a metal wall surrounded it. They all banged on it, but not even the strongest superhero could penetrate it. Other superheroes tried to open it with the mainframe, but instead a computerized voice said, "Lockdown," every time someone tried to even push a button. Suddenly, on ever screen on every computer was the Alchemist's face.

"Hello Bumblyburg!" he opened. Then all the superheroes listened to his broadcast while still trying to escape.

"We can't find any possible way to escape," one superhero told the others, panicking.

All the heroes panicked, all trapped underground. Although they got excited when they saw Larryboy try to stop the Alchemist, they still panicked.

Back at the Daily Bumble, Mother Pearl and the Alchemist held the long firework string.

"Here we go!" the Alchemist laughed.

Then he lit the string.

Everyone watched as a spark travelled on the line, to the other room, out the window, and across the park. Then it flew down into the ally and down the pried open garbage elevator.

All the superheroes inside panicked and screamed more. Suddenly, just one single firework began to sputter, triggering others. All the superheroes looked up to see a bright green light flash above them, then joined by a thousand other lights.

Soon, the ground began to shake. All of the citizens above ground away from where the ground was rumbling.

****BOOM!****

Suddenly, all the fireworks went off together. A large bang filled the air. Fireworks do look nice in the sky. But underground in a secret headquarters full of superheroes, not so much.

The fireworks penetrated the metal walls of the headquarters. Fireworks smashed into every computer, causing a fire the machines to eventually explode into flames. The huge screen in the lobby of the S.H.U.S.H. hung sideways as many other computers were destroyed.

The fireworks tore at the metal walls, making the infrastructure bend and twist, and eventually fall apart as the fire consumed it. Superheroes screamed as fire, metal, rocks, and firework pieces fell on them. Some successfully dodged them while some got hit. One superhero even got their cape stuck under a boulder.

The fire spread everywhere, and the smell of burning metal filled the air. The bright flames danced on everything as thick smoke hovered everywhere, beginning to suffocate everyone. The superheroes desperately searched for an exit to no prevail. Cement began to fall in chunks when a hole began to form above in the ceiling, letting natural light into the pit of flames.

The fire caused the S.H.U.S.H. to crumble, causing the ground above it to collapse. All the heroes screamed more, trying to escape the flames and colorful explosions. The fireworks kept going, there was so many! Any superhero not hit by falling debris or fire were smacked by a firework.

Larryboy watched in shock from the Daily Bumble, as smoke, fire, and color filled the air. The S.H.U.S.H. burned and collapsed on all those superheroes. The smoke eventually cleared away. Larryboy gasped as he saw a crater has formed where the S.H.U.S.H. was. A huge hole stretched across the street.

Larryboy could see superheroes weakly climb out of the crater, all burnt from the fire, which was still going. Fire trucks could be heard. Some superheroes carried other superheroes. They were all black from the ashes. Their colorful costumes were all darkened. Larryboy could barely recognize them.

The Alchemist and Mother Pearl laughed. "How unfortunate you weren't able to be there," Mother Pearl said.

"You know, we would have all liked to know who you all were before the superheroes all died! Now how are we going to know?!" the Alchemist cried.

"You'll never know!" Larryboy yelled.

"Why not?!" Mother Pearl demanded.

"Yeah Larryboy! How can you be the heroes when you're never going to tell everyone who you are? Why are you so secretive? Why don't you trust anyone, huh?" the Alchemist taunted and snorted.

Meanwhile, Vicki remembered this was exactly what she and Larryboy were talking about before.

"I never tell anyone, Alchemist!" Larryboy replied, "Nice try! Now surrender or I'll-"

Suddenly, Vicki ran up to Larryboy and pulled his mask off aggressively.

* * *

**Now wouldn't you like to know what happens next?**

**Reviews are wonderful gifts for being on for about a _year_ now.**


	12. Burn!

Chapter 12- Burn!

Vicki pulled the purple mask right of off Larryboy's face, revealing Larry's surprised face.

The room was silent. Everyone stared at Larryboy. Outside of the Daily Bumble the crowd was silent. Everyone was silent as they stared at Larry's surprised face on the screen. Even the superheroes that climbed out of the crater stared in shock. One of the biggest rules a superhero must never break: never let you secret identity out. As for Archibald, who has also saw everything this whole time, he was also surprised like everyone else, but the only difference was that he already knew.

_"Larry?!"_ Vicki asked, wide-eyed.

"Ummmm..." Larry mumbled.

"This whole entire time _you_ were really _Larryboy_?" Junior asked.

"There was always something about you that made me think," Bob said, slow and dazed. Larryboy was not sure Bob was referring to Larry the janitor or Larryboy, but it did not really matter anyway. "I...I always thought you were just some clumsy janitor..." Bob trailed off.

Everyone could agree. One look at everyday Larry, and you would think he was not that important. Larryboy battled monsters and the most scariest insane criminals out there. Larry just mopped the floors. Everybody was mind blown.

Larry turned to look back at Vicki. He was shocked. Just several minutes ago he considered telling her his secret, but now everything changed.

"Vicki," Larry said, trying to find what to say.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Vicki asked.

"I was, but you just revealed my identity to everyone in town!" Larryboy said, feeling betrayed. "You promised you would never tell anyone! I should have never trusted you!"

"I...just wanted to know," Vicki said. She just unintentionally broke a promise. Then she got angry. "If you told me sooner I wouldn't have done this! You never trusted me in the first place!

"So," the Alchemist snickered after getting over the shock, interrupting the two. "My long-term enemy. Behind the mask is a normal guy."

"Oh no," Larryboy thought to himself. He forgot about the Alchemist and Mother Pearl. All the other villains could probably see what was happening from the windows in their jail cells. It was one thing to show your secret to everyone. It was another to show your secret to everyone who wanted to destroy you.

Meanwhile, every villain who could see the screen smiled wickedly. The great superhero of Bumblyburg, the one that seemed to crush their dreams of doing pure evil, seemed so powerless. He was so big before. But now it seemed like his power got cut in half.

_Everything is different now._

Larry suddenly began to panic. "I believe I might be able explain-" then Larryboy quickly grabbed his mask from Vicki, shoved it back on, and took Bob's leather office chair that stood behind his desk. Larryboy quickly pushed it into the big glass window behind it, crashing into it. The glass shattered as Larryboy jumped through it. The chair tumbled to the street below and broke as Larryboy flew from the top story.

Larryboy tumbled to the ground. He fired a plunger to a tree. But the shock of his secret being revealed and all those stares from the crowd made him panic. He fell to the ground on his face. Everyone stared at him. Every eye of the people in the crowd pierced through him, burning him with shock and nervousness.

The secret was out. It was all gone. Gone. All those sixteen years of hiding it and it finally slipped out.

Larryboy looked around, his head spinning at the looks of surprised people all around him.

"Hey Larryboy!" Mother Pearl's face yelled on the screen, "Didn't we ruin your life or what?"

"Well, we're not done yet!" the Alchemist added, "Now back to all my future slaves! Now that you know who you hero is, you must also know he is a terrible hero. Wouldn't you love to see what we caught on tape!"

Then Mother Pearl tried to stop the Alchemist from showing the video they made.

"Cubby! Not yet!" Mother Pearl yelled.

Soon the video the Alchemist and Mother Pearl made began to play on the screen. The screen played the whole terrifying moment. Larryboy standing by the campfire. Then he stands up. Suddenly, the building nearby was in flames.

How could Larryboy do such a thing? Oh wait, _he did not..._

But no one knew that.

Everyone gasped and turned to look at Larryboy, whose face was shocked, his eyes and mouth opened wide. Soon everyone began to yell at Larryboy, blaming him. They booed and hissed at him. The crowd went into a riot. The big "Thank You Larryboy!" banner got torn down, streamers were ripped, and balloons were angrily stomped on and popped.

"What? That never happened! I put the fire out!" Larryboy tried to explain. But soon people started to boo at him more and threw stuff at him, like party hats, plastic spoons and forks, even slices of the cake that was meant for him as a thank you.

"Cubby! That was saved for after Larryboy was gone!" Mother Pearl scolded. "Larryboy had to be dead first! Stop messing with the plan! We were supposed to wait! Larryboy gone, you take over, and then the video!"

"Well you failed to get him into the secret superhero hideout before we blew it up! And besides, it doesn't matter," the Alchemist replied as he and Mother Pearl watched as everyone continued to throw stuff at Larryboy.

"Ahhh!" Larryboy yelled after someone somehow tossed the mayor's podium at him. Larryboy quickly ducked in time.

"You see," the Alchemist said, "They hate him so much they will destroy him themselves. I still can't believe Pickle-Boy's girlfriend revealed his identity for us."

"Yes," Mother Pearl said, "And maybe we should take his girl away too."

* * *

**Short chapter, I know, but it still had that big _incident_.**

**But wait, there's more!**


	13. Can't Get Worse?

Chapter 13- Can't Get Worse?

"What do you mean?" the Alchemist asked as he watched Vicki, Bob, and Junior walk on to the street below. They just left Bob's office and went down the elevator. They were joining the crowd now.

"Do you still have that poison you made?" Mother Pearl asked.

The Alchemist reached into his belt and pulled out a beaker. "Yes, I brought it with me everywhere. But you said we would not need it at all!" All day, the Alchemist kept asking his mom if he could use his poison he made by mixing chemicals. And all day he heard the answer, "No!"

"Well, I have a new idea that I asked to my most genius plan. See blondie down there? We already broke Pickle-Boy's reputation, now we have to break his heart. You need to murder his girlfriend," Mother Pearl said wickedly.

"Ooh that's evil," the Alchemist said, taking out the beaker full of the mixed chemicals and poured the black liquid into a syringe.  
"Do you have the antidote?" Mother Pearl asked.

"Yes, like you told me to," replied the Alchemist.

"So how do these concoctions work?" asked Mother Pearl.

"I made the poison with cyanide chemicals, like potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide. The poison has to get released into the girlfriend. Some extra specially design chemicals will also add side-affects, like drowsiness, uncontrollable muscle spasms, possible hemoptysis, and...other _interesting_ things. She will die in about an hour," the Alchemist explained.

"What about the antidote?" Mother Pearl asked.

"It has sodium nitrite, thiosulfate, and hydroxocobalamin to get rid of the poison and the other chemicals, and I added a few ounces of maple syrup for texture. This antidote is so strong it just has to touch a poisoned victim, but if they are not poisoned it has no effect," the Alchemist said, examining the syringe while finding a roll of tape on Bob's desk.

"Good. We could use that if _you_ mess this up," Mother Pearl said, nodding, "Oh Cubby, you are so smart!"

"Stop calling me that, mother!" the Alchemist said.

The Alchemist and Mother Pearl looked back at the street.

"You know, this is not a good way to thank Pickle-Boy's girlfriend for revealing Pickle-Boy's identity," the Alchemist pointed out.

"Thank her?" Mother Pearl smirked, "Oh Cubby, we all know villains don't thank people. They ruin them."

Meanwhile, Larryboy looked around as the angry mob surrounded him. Then he saw Archibald's face.

"Archibald!" Larryboy yelled but Archie got swallowed by the crowd. He remembered what Archibald told him just last night.

_"Don't worry. I promise I'll be by your side. At least you can trust me!"_ Hopefully Archibald believed he was innocent and was still on his side.

Soon, the Alchemist and Mother Pearl strolled out of the Daily Bumble. "All right slaves, that will do!" the Alchemist said, "You can have a piece of him later on."

"What?" A mushroom yelled, "You didn't exactly take over yet!"

"On the contrary," Mother Pearl said, "You all hate your superhero, so there is no one left!"

"That video was fake!" Larryboy said, "I never caused that fire!"

"Oh yeah!" the Alchemist replied, "Then explain why that building is now a pile of ashes right after you lit a campfire with your girlfriend!"

Then everyone looked at Vicki, who was standing in the crowd. Everyone moved away from her, leaving her exposed.

"Now Pickle-Boy!" the Alchemist yelled, "Watch as we took away the very last thing to break you: Your girlfriend!"

"What?" Larryboy asked. First the S.H.U.S.H. exploded and all the superheroes got injured, then Larryboy's identity got revealed, then everyone turned against him, and now Vicki got threatened to get caputured again. How could this anniversary party get any worse?

"Oh, no!" Vicki yelled, "Not this time! I'm not his girlfriend anymore!"

"What?!" Larryboy asked again.

"I'm breaking up with you!" Vicki yelled.

The party got worse.

"Why!?" Larryboy asked.

"You have been near me all this time and you never told me! You just kept hiding stuff! I just can't believe it. I should have known dating a superhero was too much to handle!" Vicki yelled.

"But Vicki! Wait!" Larryboy called after her a she was about to push through the crowd. "_What did she mean?" _Larryboy thought to himself.

"Forget it! I'm leaving before anything else happens, and I'm ignoring anything I hear that you think will change my mind!" Vicki yelled. Then she turned around and trudged away, not caring about what she heard.

"Oh, boo-hoo, Pickle-Boy's girlfriend dumped him!" the Alchemist mocked. Then he raised the syringe up, the plunger taped down.  
"What are you doing?" Larryboy asked.

"She may not be your girl anymore, but I don't care!" the Alchemist said. Then he faced Vicki, who was still ignoring everything. She was walking away, her back turned.

Then the Alchemist raised his claw back holding the syringe, plunger pushed down. Then he threw it like a dart in Vicki's direction.

Larryboy gasped and watched the sharp needle fly towards his ex-girlfriend. Even though Vicki practically hated him and Larry was somewhat angry at her, he could not believe Vicki was about to get hurt. He could tell what the Alchemist threw was something bad.

Larryboy suddenly had a flashback to last night while he and Vicki were at a campfire. He remembered he made a promise.

_"I'll protect you. I promise."_

He had to save Vicki.

Larryboy found himself beginning to run as soon as the sharp syringe with its needle glistening in the sunlight left the Alchemist's hand. He was running to where Vicki was walking away.

"No! Stop!" Larryboy yelled, as if the poison would stop flying. As for Vicki, she still kept walking. But she was still in line with the syringe.

Larryboy leapt in front of Vicki, yelling. Vicki finally turned around and gasped.

A sharp cutting sound echoed through the air. The syringe stabbed Larryboy's skin where it were from his mask. He was hit.

The needle cut into his skin, pouring poison under his skin. Then the syringe slipped out of his skin and fell to the ground, empty.

Larryboy's face twisted in pain. Then his eyes felt heavy and his head began to hurt. He could no longer breath.

Then he began to feel light-headed as he fell backwards. He shrieked in pain then his voice faded away as he lay on his back in the grass. He stared up in fear until his eyes were quickly forced close.

The last thing Larryboy saw was the Alchemist laughing, holding up the empty syringe, Vicki's pale face looking at him nearby with her camera around her neck, and Archibald, farther away, running up to him.

Everyone was screaming. People were running everywhere while the Alchemist and Mother Pearl laughed.

"See, mom! The poison did come in handy after all!" the Alchemist said, "I didn't expect Pickle-Boy to get poisoned, but it still works!"

Vicki stared at Larryboy, shocked. Then her eyes, wide from shock, became glittery and soon tears rushed out. Suddenly she got pulled backwards. The crowds were receding, and someone must have grabbed hold of her.

"We have to go! It will be safer!" Someone's voice told her, maybe Bob's or someone's.

Some superheroes who were still conscious from the explosion saw this and rushed to Larryboy, and began to drag his body away. Vicki watched as the two became separated, getting farther apart than they already were.

Soon the park became evacuated. The only people left was the Alchemist and Mother Pearl. Streamers and balloons fluttered in the breeze.

Obviously, the party did not end well.

* * *

**Yes, that just happened.**

**This is the reason I rated this T.**

**Review would be great.**

**Next two chapters will be up (hopefully) next week. I'm trying to post them daily now.**

**Notice I did not say THE END yet...**


	14. A Bad Time for Tea

Chapter 14- A Bad Time for Tea

Larryboy looked around. The whole room was white. He was sitting in a white leather chair.

"Why hello there," said a British voice. Larryboy looked around to see he was not alone. Three superheroes sat on the left, right, and in front of him. They all sat in the same white leather chairs around a white glossy table. On the white tables were white picture frames (but you could not tell what the picture was because it was all white too) a white chandelier above their heads, and other various white furniture. Clear glass cups sat on the table next to a white pitcher.

"Am I...am I in heaven?" Larryboy asked.

"What? No! How can you be in heaven if you didn't even die yet?" asked another superhero.

"He did die! That's why he's here!" said the superhero across from him.

Larryboy examined the superheroes. The one on his right was the a leak with a British accent who wore a black suit and cape. The one across from him was a parsnip with about six robotic claws extending from his turquoise suit. The superhero on his right was a pickle. She was wearing a purplish outfit with a bunch of tiny light bulbs strung all over it.

"Where...where am I?" Larryboy asked.

"This is a club for killed superheroes!" the leak said.

"Killed?! I thought I was not dead!" Larryboy shrieked.

"_The poison's kicking in_," the pickle said, her voice suddenly deeper and distorted. Her face somehow flickered, as part of it kept changing. One second is was a normal face with a purple mask, then for a split second it was a black jagged image.

"Ummm..." Larryboy said nervously.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves and how we got here," the British leek said, "I once was the Mind Motor. I was really smart and drove a high-tech motorcycle."

"What happened?" Larryboy asked."A super villain rigged my motorcycle. I got chased by a group of criminals when my motorcycle threw me off. The super villains killed me then," the Mind Motor said sadly.

"I was Roboman," said the parsnip, waving up one robotic arm attached to his suit, "I used my robotic appendages to fight evil. Then one day a super villain choked me with my cape."

"I killed my side-kick," said the pickle, dangling the tiny light bulbs that were the size of Christmas lights, "I am Glimmer Gal. But I accidentally shot all my light in my side-kick's eyes, causing him to stumble into a vat acid. Burned right in front of me. Then the super villain took advantage of this as a distraction and pushed me in to the acid as well."

"So you see," said Roboman, "we all got by evil. So how did you get here?"

"Well, first a super villain blew up a secret hideout full of super heroes, so no one could help me. Then he revealed my secret identity, then told everyone I burned a building down, and then-" Larryboy paused, just remembering the reason he was there. "The super villain tried to poison my girlfriend but then I jumped in his way."

"Oh, how romantic," Glimmer Gal said, her lights shining brighter.

"Well, she kind of broke up with me before. She was the one who actually revealed my identity," Larryboy said.

"C_hr_**u**us...n**n**n...**oon_n_**e," Mind Motor's voice slurred, his voice tone lowered.

"What's go-" Larryboy was about to ask.

"That's too bad," Roboman said.

"So...is there a way out of here...if I'm not dead?" Larryboy asked.

"There's no way out," the Mind Motor replied.

"Really? I can't just leave?" Larryboy asked, "I have to! My city still needs me!"

"All our cities needed us too but we are all stuck here. Sorry Larryboy," Glimmer Gal said.

"**Ff**f_fo_r_ev_vee_rr_rr!" the Roboman "glitched" slowly, his body changing for a split second. He looked familiar when he did that.

"Come on guys! I have to! Besides, what can you even do here?" Then Larryboy realized something. "And how do you know my name?"

"It's your mind," the Mind Motor said.

"What does that mean?"

"Calm down Larryboy, you're one of us now," Roboman said.

"Yeah. You'll like it. We just sit here and drink _ppp_- tea!" Glimmer Gal said, momentarily flinching when she tried to say tea.

"Tea?" Larryboy asked.

"N**-n-n**ot-t_h_e-_nn-not_ **th_e t_e**a!" Mind Motor yelled, twitching.

"Yes! The tea!" Roboman yelled. Then he stood up and used one of his robotic claws to pour the tea into four glasses. Unlike the room, the tea was pitch black, and was so thick in the glass that you could not see through it. It was not like a brownish black, but a dark dead pitch black, darker than the night sky. Then every superhero took a glass except Larryboy.

The Mind Motor stared at his clear glass. The tea looked unusually cold for being something that usually was drank hot. "Don't drink it!" he told Larryboy.

"Drink it! Drink it!" the Roboman yelled demandedly.

"No!" the Mind Motor said.

"I'll try it!" Glimmer Gal said. Then she took a sip. She looked fine. Then started to drink some more.

"Ahhh!" the Mind Motor yelled. He looked directly at Larryboy.

"What?" he asked.

"You're getting smaller!" Mind Motor yelled.

"No, he looks fine!" Roboman said.

"Don't you get it! It's poison! Poison!"

Mind Motor yelled, throwing his glass on the floor. The glass shattered and the dark liquid stained the white floor.

"Keep drinking it, Glimmer Gal!" Roboman urged. Glimmer Gal drank from the cup again. Larryboy then realized the table, the chair, and the cups were getting bigger and taller

"Stop! Stop!" the Mind Motor yelled at Glimmer Gal, "When you drink it he shrinks!"

Glimmer Gal looked at Larryboy and put the half drunk cup of "tea" got up from his chair. The Mind Motor, Glimmer Gal, and Roboman loomed over him. Only his face was higher than the coffee table.

"Look! He's half the size he was when he got here!" the Mind Motor yelled.

"Yeah whatever," Roboman said, lifting his cup up. Then he began to drink it. Larryboy remained the small height he had shrunken to. But then Roboman began to grow. When he finished his tea, he was about ten feet tall.

"See! **N_-N-_OO-_OOT-T-T-_HIN_-N_GG'S-S WE-RRON-NN-J!**" He twitched and yelled, his low slow voice roaring.

Larryboy turned around and began to run. Only he only got a foot away when he reached the white wall of the room. He began to bang on it.

"Let me out!" he yelled. He knew something was definitely wrong.

"DRIN**K TH**E P-Poi_s-TEA!_ DRINK_ TH_E **_TEA_**!" Roboman yelled.

"Dd_d_d-**on't**t!" glitched Mind Motor.

"Don_'t ll_elee**avv**ve!" Glimmer Gal schreeched.

"It will be **GG-GO_OD_DD** for **YY_O_OU**!" the Roboman said, fidgeting randomly.

"Cch_rr_usss _no_ o**o**neEe!" Mind Motor cried out, "**No** onn b_bbuu_t _meeeeeee_!"

"What's happening?" Larryboy asked confused. Why was everyone's voices sounding weird and distorted? Was it real? It felt real to Larryboy.

"D**Rin**K t_He_ **_tEA_**!" Roboman yelled, his voice no longer...normal. "**_LiVE yLlaEr m'I_**!" he jabbered, saying gibberish. Then he pushed Larryboy's glass at him, which was as big as a bucket.

"_Nn-_oon**NoO0**!" Mind Motor's voice screamed in a low distorted tone.

Roboman grabbed Mind Motor with one of his robotic arms.

"He has to DRINK IT!" he yelled at Mind Motor.

"SS_s**Ss**-_O_oa_**_-a_r**r-ryi," Glimmer Gal glitched.

Larryboy held up the glass. If Glimmer Gal drank it, it made him shrink. If Roboman drank it, then Roboman grew. The Mind Motor never drank his. What would happen if he drank it?

Larryboy decided to try it. He drank some of it. Larryboy then pulled the cup away from his mouth. The tea tasted cold, thick, and bitter.

Instantly, the room turned black. Everything that was once white became darkened. Larryboy heard someone screaming, but it might have been himself. This was insanity.

"H_HA_ A hH**A_aa_**_ hAA_a!" Roboman laughed as all the superheroes became distorted except Larryboy."HoW''s$s the _pois0N_ Pi**Â**_¢kle-B_oY#Y?!" Roboman asked.

"Br_e -bre_ kKiNGgjG_ uppp_ **wiIT YO**o%o!" Glimmer Gal said, the lower half of her body began to distort and disappear.

"**T+rchuu$sst n0 onn^ne**!" Mind Motor yelled.

Soon Glimmer Gal was gone, just faded bits and images of her dissolving away, the light gone. Then Roboman, towering over Larryboy, knocked the pitcher of poison off the table. The giant pitcher leaned over the edge of the table. It was about as tall as Larryboy, but it seemed heavier, full of tea poison.

"TR_usT_ No _On_E!" Mind Motor finally said mostly clearly. A dim light still shone around him.

As the black room shook and flickered, Larryboy watched as the pitcher tipped over, towards his tiny self. The black liquid poured our like a tidal wave.

All Larryboy saw was the black "tea" cover up his vision with darkness along with shatters of glass from the pitcher. Larryboy began to feel sick again. The smell of burning metal suddenly filled the air. It felt cold.

"Larryb)_uoy! Co)_me back!" Mind Motor's voice called him, getting somewhat clearer, "W/e ne**E*ed** yUu! Help us! Wh=o w1il_l sa_v%e UusS$!? Please!_ You have got to be ok!_"

"I-I can't! I'm sorry!" Larryboy yelled, surrounded by darkness. "I'm sorry!" Suddenly, Larryboy began to feel dizzy. He could not see anything still. There was a new feeling around him. It felt cold and it smelled like smoke. It hurt. If Larryboy had hands. he would have placed them on his head. He was going insane.

"Larryboy! Larryboy!" Mind Motor continued to call him.

Then Larryboy screamed again.

* * *

**This chapter is my favorite. It was fun to write and everything. About all the glitches and stuff like the "$, " and the use of gibberish, it's supposed to make their words sound all distorted and messed up. Anyway, if you look closely at what the characters are saying and stuff, there's actually some sort of secret thing going on here. It's not important to the story line, but it alludes to the story. See if you can guess, and at the end of the story I will put up an explanation, along with a few other interesting details about this story.**

**Also, I was looking over this story, and I noticed at first it said Vicki and Larryboy were dating for four months while some chapters said six months. To clarify, it's supposed to be six months. I'll get to working on the "four months" mistake and other typos.**


	15. Better Hurry, Pickle-Boy!

Chapter 15- "Better Hurry, Pickle-Boy!"

"Larryboy!" Mind Motor continued to call him.

The smell of smoke and burning metal still filled the air. Larryboy could feel himself shaking. It was not like he himself was shaking, but that something was shaking him.

"He's a goner...he might not make it...I can't believe it...this can't be happening!" Mind Motor's voice said sadly and clearly.

Larryboy's eyes stared into a blurry haze. Nothing was clear. He saw someone standing over him. Larryboy's eyes closed again.

"LARRYBOY!" what still sounded like the Mind Motor screamed his name.

"I'm sorry!" Larryboy continued to mumble over and over. Then he yelled out loud, "I'm sorry!"

Larryboy opened his eyes again, trying to make them focus, and immediately sat up, gasping. He was laying down somewhere. His head hurt, he felt tired and groggy, and he took bigger breathes to breathe. When he sat up, he immediately lay back down a little since it hurt when moved.

"Wha-what happened?" he asked.

The walls around him were no longer white, but looked like they burnt metal, which was probably what Larryboy smelled. Sparks flew from random machines. Cracked glass monitors dangled from ripped cords. There was a big doorway leading to even more destruction. Larryboy could see the blue sky in a large hole in the ceiling behind the doorway from where he lay.

He was surrounded by superheroes again, but more this time. They were all burnt and bruised. Some were laying on white mats on the ground. Larryboy realized was also laying a white mat on the ground with a thin blanket spread across him.

"Where...am I?" Larryboy asked himself, carefully lifting up the blanket.

"Larryboy?! You're awake?!" Mind Motor said.

"Huh?" Larryboy asked.

"How...how are you feeling?" Larryboy heard the Mind Motor's voice calling him but when he looked to the side he realize it was Archibald's voice after all. He was sitting on a broken table.

"What just happened? Where am I?" Larryboy asked.

"You just jumped in the way of Vicki when the Alchemist tried to poison her," Archibald explained, "Then some of the superheroes dragged you back down to the S.H.U.S.H. after the fire extinguished."

"Oh," Larryboy said weakly, "I just had a weird dream about these dead superheroes and we started to have tea, but then the tea was really poison, and I started shrinking and this Roboman guy grew really big."

"Err...the poison must have been terrible," Archibald said concerned. "You were unconscious so we took you here along with these other injured superheroes. We were not sure if you would wake up, but then you started mumbling and screaming. I tried to shake you, but then you just woke up."

"But if the S.H.U.S.H. got destroyed, why are we here then?" Larryboy asked.

"Although it is badly damaged, this is the safest place for us now, especially since all the super villains know your secret identity," Archibald explained.

"Oh yeah," Larryboy said, frowning. "I can't believe Vicki revealed my identity and broke up with me. You were right about not trusting anyone."

"I'm sorry Larry," Archibald said, beginning to tear up, "I can't believe that it's going to end like this. All those sixteen years of being your partner. I can't believe it's going to end like this," Archibald paused and stared at Larryboy, "I was the one who made Oswald. This is all my fault that you're going to...to...I'm sorry."

"No Archie," Larryboy said, coughing harshly, "The Alchemist and Mother Pearl have planned this for a long time. They just happened to have some poison ready. But if I die, it will be my fault if they city is destroyed. I just can't-" Larryboy was caught off as he yelped in pain. Pain spread through his frail body rapidly. He began to cough more as Archibald watched him.

"I won't let you die," Archibald said suddenly. He stood up. "I can't let this happen. Without you, the world would be miserable. We all would be miserable. I would be miserable. I'd go insane without you."

Larryboy stared at Archibald. "Thanks Archie." Then he paused for a second. "You believe I didn't cause the fire, right?"

"Of course! In fact, I immediately knew that whole video was a lie. In fact, look at this!" Archibald held up a rectangular flat device with a touch screen. "This is video footage from a camera at the entrance of the S.H.U.S.H. Because your date was right in front of the entrance, I got a video of it right here."

Larryboy faintly blushed. "Wow Archie. That's nice," he replied, his right eye twitching as he said this. _"That's_ _weird,"_ he thought to himself. Did it have anything to do with the poison?

"No, look at this!" Archibald said. On the screen was a video of Larryboy putting the campfire out. Then Mother Pearl appeared and was shown lighting the building on fire.

"Hey! Mother Pearl is lighting the building on fire!" Larryboy gasped, followed by another coughing fit.

"The Alchemist must have made a fake video just to get everyone to hate you. But I didn't even need to see the real video to know you were innocent," Archbald replied.

He weakly smiled at him. "I just don't want to leave. Not without one more try to stop the Alchemist. Once more."

Archibald jerked around just like he got slapped. He could not believe it.

"You want to fight? But...that would make it worse...but maybe you should not think about this. You're still poisoned."

"Don't worry Archie," Larryboy tried to smile again but even this was proven difficult. "I'm fine." After he said this, Larryboy lurched forward and cried out in pain again. He tried to hide it but failed. "I-I'm fine. It's not that bad."

"No, don't try to make it seem all great! Everything is not fine!" Archibald said. Larryboy stared at Archibald in surprise.

"But Archie. It will be OK. It's always like that in the end."

Archibald glanced at Larryboy. Larryboy's eyes seemed to shine with hope like they always did when he was fearlessly fighting crime. _"I will miss that so much,_" Archibald thought to himself.

Then Archie got up and pulled on a tall cracked mirror that was for superheroes when they wanted to see what they looked like in their costumes. He pulled it towards Larryboy.

"This...this is what the poison did to you." Larryboy stared at his reflection in the mirror. One difference was that his skin was really pale. A weirder difference was that Larry's eyes were now gray. His pupils were getting grayer.

"The gray eyes are unusual. It turns out your case is very serious," said Bok Choy, limping up to him with a cane.

"Bok Choy?" Larryboy asked.

"All superheroes got injured during the firework explosion," said Bok Choy, looking at all the other superheroes on mats, then holding up his cane, "Including me. But we used the last remaining computers to find out the poison was a mixture of different chemicals. We're afraid to tell you...that the poison left you with an hour left to live."

"And you now have thirty minutes left," Archibald said, looking at the electronic device he held.

"We got this footage from the video surveillance cameras in the Bumblyburg jail," Bok Choy said, motioning to a cracked computer monitor. It flickered and static danced on it until a video came on. In the corner of the screen sat some police officers, wrapped in red string. Blue fog could be seen dissolving away from them. The Alchemist and Mother Pearl stood in the middle of the hall of cells, holding keys. Lining the walls were jail cells, filled with criminals.

"You did it! He actually did it!" Outback Jack said.

"I can't believe you actually killed Larryboy! That's extreme villainy!" Iceberg said.

"He's not dead yet. But he will be. So I need you all to get there! We're going to give him the last goodbye!" the Alchemist said.

"You're going to let us all out then?" Chili Pepper asked.

"Of course!" Mother Pearl. "I have also planned out perfect meeting area," Mother Pearl said.

Then the Alchemist held up the keys and walked towards the jail cells. He began to unlock them. "Each of you have twenty minutes to run back to your hideouts to bring a weapon or invention you want to use to avenge Larryboy. But you need to hurry- Larryboy is not going to last long."

"Where we meeting up?" the Emperor asked.

"All of us must meet at-" Mother Pearl began to say. Then the computer screen totally flickered out and shut down.

"Wait!" Larryboy said suddenly, followed by more coughing, "How are we going to know where to go?"

Bok Choy handed Larryboy a broken bottle with a note attached to it. "Someone threw this down here," Bok Choy explained.

The note read, "Go to the building _YOU_ burned down. Better hurry, Pickle-Boy!"

"So what are we going to do?" Larryboy asked.

"Surrender," Bok Choy simply stated.

"Surrender?" Larryboy asked.

"I'm afraid we have no choice. We can't risk anything. Your life is on the line," Bok Choy said, "Our plan is to send you in there and ask for an antidote. We are hoping the Alchemist has one, otherwise we have no idea why he is calling you. Maybe all your enemies want to see you die in front of their own eyes."

"So how am I going to get in there?" Larryboy asked.

"Because of your current state, we are lending you this wheelchair that survived the fire," Bok Choy said, pushing a wheel chair forward, "But we don't know who will take you there. All of the superheroes are hurt."

Archibald looked up. "I'll do it."

"Are you sure you want to face all those villains with me?" Larryboy asked.

"If you are about to die," Archibald said, "I want to be with you."

"Thanks Archie," Larryboy said.

"If you need help, use the Integrated Probe for Analytical Diagnostics. It has a some special features that can be used for defense," Bok Choy said, pointing to the Probe in Archie's lap.

"But what about Bumblyburg?" Larryboy asked, his head beginning to burn, "Can't I still save everyone?"

Archibald sighed sadly. "Only if we don't run out of time."


	16. Once More

Chapter 16- Once More

"A burned down building makes a great place of all us fellow villains to congregate," the Alchemist said, "Forgot that high-tech underground place for superheros! This is it!"

Mother Pearl walked up to the Alchemist with their video camera.

"Why do we still need this?" the Alchemist asked.

"I set up the screen in the opposite direction of the park and set up the computer plugged into a room in the building next door and set in in a window. This camera will send all feedback to the screen. Don't you want everyone to witness you victory?"

"Of course!" the Alchemist said as all the villains walked around the falling apart insurance building. The wall facing the ally was basically gone. Each of the six floors had large gaping holes and tears with bricks raining through them. Only the lobby and second floor were stable enough for the villains to walk through. The second floor had a large hole that overlooked the first floor. Villains carried boxes around with them as they all made the burned down house of blackened walls and ash their home. Pillars of bricks had to hold the building up. But all the villains thought that even a destroyed building would last longer than Larryboy.

The Alchemist placed the camera on to a stack of bricks and pressed record. Each villain lined what was left of the walls of the main floor as the footage of them projected on a big screen in the park. The Alchemist sat on a throne of bricks. Next to him was a cart that held trays of chemicals. On the top tray was a metal box. A note on it read, "This maybe could be the antidote." Mother Pearl stood by it, guarding the box.

"All right my fellow criminals," the Alchemist said, "All of Bumblyburg awaits the death of our greatest enemy. Then I will rule Bumblyburg-" the Alchemist paused. Then he added, "with all you villains at my side." It was silent.

"I am waiting for you all to applaud," the Alchemist said.

"Applaud? We want to rule Bumblyburg as much as you do!" Awful Alvin argued.

"Yeah! Who made you our leader?" Outback Jack asked.

"Our deal! We had a deal!" the Alchemist argued, "And I'm the one who actually poisoned Pickle-Boy, so I'm the one-"

Suddenly, the Alchemist got interrupted. The doors of the building suddenly opened wide and fell down, loose from its hinges. Two dark figures walked through the room, watched by every eye of the criminals. Soon they stepped into the light of the sunlight crawling through the burned floors. Archibald appeared, looking serious in his tuxedo, and he was pushing someone in the wheel chair. In the wheel chair was Larryboy, but he got covered by a dark blue tarp, the lower half of his body only visible. He was trembling rapidly. His condition was getting worse. That random simple eye twitch he had before was just the beginning. He could barely control his twitching body as pain swept through his nerves.

As for the rest of Bumblyburg, they watched the screen again, since this was the first time everyone saw him after the poisoning incident. They gasped at the sight of Larryboy.

"Well if it isn't Pickle-Boy. Now you're just a broken hero in a wheelchair. Now why don't you take off that blanket and let me see the damage I have done," the Alchemist stepped forward from his brick throne. Then Archibald appeared at Larryboy's side.

"And now Larryboy has an assistant," Mother Pearl said, sneering at Archibald.

Archibald cleared his voice. "All of the superheroes have asked for any possible cure or antidote for Larryboy."

"Lucky for you, I have one right here," the Alchemist began to say, opening the metal box and waving the mauve colored liquid around in a cylinder glass beaker. Then Mother Pearl grabbed it from him.

"We have two options for you," Mother Pearl said, "Either we give you this antidote if you leave us alone-"

"Mother!" the Alchemist gasped along with all the other criminals. They did not want Larryboy to just leave healthy. They wanted to watch him die!

"Or you can fight for this city," Mother Pearl finished, glaring at her son.

"We surren- what?" Archibald began to say when Larryboy suddenly began to murmur something from under the tarp. "One second," he said, before lifting the tarp up a little and ducking his head under it, closer to the trembling Larryboy.

"What? Are you sure?" Archibald was heard whispering. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "You're a brave hero. I'll never forget you."

Then Archibald lifted his head out of the tarp. "Larryboy...would like...to fight for the city."

"That's just what we wanted," Mother Pearl said, her eyes narrowing in wickedness, "I knew Larryboy cared more than his own life for this pitiful city. Now he might just have to lose both."

"You got ten minutes left, Larryboy," the Alchemist said, looking at a stolen cracked pocket watch, "Let's see if you can stop all of us before time runs out."

"If Larryboy is so sure of himself, take that blanket off!" Greta yelled.

"Hush! Let him do his work. Not like he can do anything. It would take a miracle to defeat us and get us all back into jail in a short amount of time while every one of us is against him with our weapons," Mother Pearl said.

"W-weapons?" Archibald stuttered.

At that, every villain pulled out every weapon they had on them. Different swords to laser guns to just a bag of rocks aimed at Larryboy.

Larryboy shivered under the sheet. He was not cold, but the pain made his body twitch around as entire body had a stinging feeling and burned in pain even if he blinked. It hurt just to breathe and his heart beat was faster than normal. His head felt heavy and at the same time light.

Larryboy stared at the scene from under the sheet. It looked bad. He and Archibald were surrounded. The Alchemist started walking towards him, Oswald in hand. With a devious look on the Alchemist's face, Larryboy watched as one of the Alchemist's claws lunged towards his face.

Meanwhile, Vicki walked out of the Daily Bumble. Bob and Junior trailed behind her in the distance.

Vicki, still shocked and sad, fell to her knees in the grass of the park. She patted the fresh green grass softly as she thought of no one else but Larryboy. She did not want their last words to be about breaking up, but Vicki kept telling herself she would never get the chance to fix that. Then out of the corner of her eyes stood Larryboy right next to her.

Vicki gasped and looked up to see no one there. She could have sworn Larryboy was right next to her, alive and well.

"It's Larryboy!" Junior yelled.

"Where?!" Vicki asked immediately. Then she sighed as she did not see anyone. "That's not funny, Junior."

"No really! Look the giant screen!" Junior said, leaping to Vicki's side along with Bob and motioning towards the screen.

Then the giant screen, now in its new place, caught Vicki's attention. Everyone saw Larryboy, but he did not look so good.

It was at that moment the Alchemist pulled the tarp of Larryboy. Every villain and citizen stared in awe at Larryboy, how he violently shivered, how pale his skin was, and how greyish his eyes were fading to. Even Archibald was shocked- Larryboy was worse than he was twenty minutes ago.

Bob gasped, then stared at the ground for a moment. "I can't believe this is what it all came down to. We need to find a way to show him our appreciation before he's gone. To show him we don't hate him. To thank him," Bob said sadly.

"What?" Junior asked. "What do you mean? How? What for?"

"As a last thing for all those sixteen years of protection and being a nice fellow. And for keeping my office tidy," Bob said. "I only have one idea. I don't think it can really help him, but it will show him what a hero he really was, even if he loses."

"But the fire-" Junior said.

"Forget the fire. Something about that's not right," Bob said.

"Maybe the video really was fake like Larryboy said," Junior looked up at them.

"If only we knew what was wrong before. We always know when it's all over," Vicki said gloomily.

Back at the burned building, Mother Pearl pulled out the big red blanket she used as the Mirage Mistress.

"Might as well put this to use," she noted.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Pickle-Boy? You will have ten minutes to stop us before you die," the Alchemist sneered.

Larryboy's grey and faded eyes stared at the Alchemist, which startled him for a second.

"Once m-more," Larryboy shivered.

The Alchemist stepped back. All the villains surrounded Larryboy and Archibald in a circle. The Alchemist raised his hand above his head. Then he lowered it.

"Go."

Suddenly, at the Alchemist's commands, every villain lunged at Larryboy and Archibald, a crowd of villains swallowing them up. The angry yelling of the villains covered the horrified yelling of Larryboy and Archibald while there was the surprised yelling of the people outside who gathered to watch the screen.

Larryboy cringed, expecting the impact of the villains. Then he looked up to see that Archibald was pushing the wheelchair around, trying to avoid the villains but to no avail.

"Archie! What's happening?" Larryboy asked.

"I'm running away in circles!" Archibald replied as he pushed the wheelchair around. Meanwhile, villains threw stuff at them. Bricks and rocks and random burnt objects flew their way.

Suddenly, Larryboy's vision began to blur and suddenly, it felt like his throat was closing up. It was getting dark...

"No! Not yet!" he yelled at himself, coughing. He could not die yet! Soon the temporary feeling of weakness left Larryboy feeling sicker, but he felt like the feeling would come back soon. He had to be strong.

"Larry! Larry! Wait!"

Larryboy looked up. Who else would call him his other name besides Archibald. Even though everyone knew, they still referred to him as Larryboy, including the villains and superheroes. The only people who seemed to call him that now were the ones who knew him as just Larry-

Larryboy turned around to see Bob, Junior, and Vicki running up to the entrance of the building. What were they doing?

Vicki stood at the entrance, crying out both Larry and Larryboy's names. Junior jumped up and down so much that his hat fell from his head. Bob was waving something around. It looked like a newspaper.

"Here!" Bob yelled, throwing it across the burnt floor. The newspaper lay in the corner.

"Read it if you can!" Junior yelled, "The front page! It's all for you!"

"Get out!" Greta Von Gruesome yelled at them. She began firing her laser gloves at them, but they tried to hold their ground.

"Block the entrance!" Mother Pearl yelled. Iceberg immediately went up to the doorway and soon a solid block of ice formed and blocked it. Bob, Junior, and Vicki's faces disappeared behind it. They tried to tear the icy barrier but failed. Larry and Archie were officially trapped.

"Oy! Asparagus!" Outback Jack yelled. Then, with Archibald, still running, looked up to see an Australian kiwi with a sock puppet jump at him.

Larryboy was suddenly, thrown off the wheel chair. He stood up slowly for the first time and turned around to see Chili Pepper pour something on it. The wheel chair immediately began to emit smoke and melted completely into a pile of liquid metal.

"Ahhhh!" Archibald screamed as the Alchemist threw red balls at him. As Archibald got covered in sticky string, some villains began to gang up on him.

Larryboy was still surprised about what Bob, Junior, and Vicki did. What was in that newspaper?

"Frank! Jesse!" the Emperor yelled at his potato henchmen, "Attack!"

Larryboy Frank and Jesse began to poke and pull on Larryboy while the Emperor began to yell insults at Larryboy. But Larry just managed to stand there watching the Emperor yell as his henchman tried to tear him apart.

Larryboy saw the newspaper Bob threw on the floor nearby. He looked at the first page. It was today's newspapers. The front article was about Larryboy's 16th anniversary party that was supposed to take place that day. The headline read: 16 Years of Heroism.

"If you do not know what today is, then you have been living under a rock for the past sixteen years," the article read, "Today marks sixteen years of our town superhero Larryboy's work to protect our city. There will be a big town celebration held in the park today, and no one will want to miss it. It will be fun for everyone. Please come and honor our superhero for all the hard work he has done. If it were not for him, Bumblyburg would have been destroyed a long time ago. Larryboy is a great superhero with much courage to fight against every criminal that strikes this town, and is also one of the nicest people you would ever meet. It is hard to think of what life would have been like without Larryboy. He is not afraid to put himself in danger just to save us and the town he loves. He is a hero!" The article went on with many thanks to Larryboy.

Larryboy stared at the newspaper. The people really did need him. All of a sudden, he got bombarded with memories as he began to think about all the people he knew.

There were so many memories from the past years. Archibald reminding him to push the eject button in the LarryPlane. Junior handing him tiny orange spheres when he was dressed as Larry, telling him to give them to Larryboy to look over (before he knew Larry was actually Larryboy.) Bob telling him to mop up some coffee. Bok Choy scolding him for being late to class. Dark Crow and he being thrown into scientific sticky goo. Lemon Twist and Electromelon destroying an amusement park until he showed up. Scarlet Tomato being redundant all the time. All those people Larryboy watched being tortured somehow and he did not get a chance to stop them. All those people out there about to be put under the Alchemist's control. All those superheroes injured during the firework explosion.

Larryboy suddenly had a memory of Vicki. She was smiling at him. For some reason, his neck hurt in that memory, and then Larryboy realised that was when he tripped and got caught in a closing elevator, then Vicki showed up and he tried to act tough.

Larryboy suddenly frowned. Vicki was probably still mad at him. He was wondering where she was now.

He also wondered whose fault it was for their break up. Sure, Vicki broke a promise, but he kept hiding stuff from her. But maybe he did not care. Even after the break up, Larry still could not stand to see Vicki get hurt. Perhaps he still loved her after all.

A tear slipped out of Larryboy's eye as he still stood there dazed. Larryboy knew he had to see Vicki again before he died.

"Take this Larryboy! This is from Lampy!" Awful Alvin's voice yelled.

Larryboy was taken back to the present. Frank, Jesse, and the Emperor spread out away from him, giving Awful Alvin space as he walked up to them. Alvin was holding Lampy up, like he was about to hit Larryboy with the bottom of Lampy's post.

Suddenly, the Larryboy's head began to burn more and his breathing became harsher again. Larryboy screamed painfully. The temporary feeling of sudden extreme pain was back on him.

Larryboy coughed violently and slumped weakly to his knees. All the nearby villains instantly stepped back in fear, shock, and disgust. Even they were surprised at how broken Larryboy looked, and how sick he was made them step away. Larryboy fell back as a sour taste filled his mouth. His mouth hung open as Larryboy's eyelids became heavy and everything began darken.

Awful Alvin regained his senses and raised Lampy over his head. Other villains also came back and held Larryboy in place. Larryboy did not even struggle. Alvin stared heartlessly at the broken hero.

"So pathetic."

Just as Alvin swung Lampy down at Larryboy, Larryboy tilted his head and his plunger deflected Lampy just in time. He weakly stood up, then his head slumped in pain while Larryboy tried to look back up.

He wanted to fight. He needed to fight! Larryboy twisted his weak body and pushed the villains away with just a push with his plungers, freeing himself from their grasp.

Before all the nearby villains could surround him again, Larryboy shot a plunger up to the ceiling of the second floor. All the villains ran into each other while trying to grasp him.

Archibald was thrown to the side, splattering against the wall.

"We surrender!" he yelled. He did not care if Larryboy really wanted to risk his life. He did not want to watch Larryboy die like this. He adjusted hiscracked molecule in place and picked up the Integrated Probe for Analytical Diagnosis Bok Choy gave him. He shook it wildly and sighed. How was he supposed to use it? Suddenly, the video footage showing evidence of Larry's innocence showed up on the screen.

Archibald saw the camera recording nearby. He remembered everyone was watching them. He also remembered everyone was angry with Larryboy. Archibald looked at the Probe. He had an idea.

Meanwhile, Larryboy flew around the building, swinging around the unstable room.

"This is what you get for ruining everything!" Greta Von Gruesome yelled. She was on the second floor, overlooking the first. Then she picked up a charred office desk and threw it down to the first floor.

Larryboy saw this coming and staggered backwards. He accidentally knocked down a pillar of bricks. Part of the floors crashed down.

"Careful Pickle-Boy! Or we will all die with you!" the Alchemist yelled. Then he added, "You have about seven minutes left!" The Alchemist waved Oswald around.

"Oswald!" Larryboy said out loud, "Of course!"

Oswald could protect him. It could help Larryboy win this! He just had to get it.

Larryboy began to run towards the Alchemist. Larryboy used his plunger ears to begin stopping criminals. He pushed Chili Pepper against the wall, collided Alvin and Greta together (to their dislike) and smashed Outback Jack into the ground. The Emperor and his henchman began to pull bricks out of the walls in the second level and dropped them on the first. Larryboy fired a plunger at the Emperor's face, which pulled he and his henchman (who the Emperor grabbed on to) down to the ground, smacking them into the Iceburg's face. Mother Pearl pulled out her cape she used as the Mirage Mistress and chased after Larryboy with it. The Alchemist just pushed his whole cart of chemicals towards Larryboy. Larryboy quickly leaped on top of it and balanced on it like was riding a skateboard. He crashed into the wall.

As the Alchemist fell, Oswald flew out of his hands.

Archibald stood in front of the camera. He held up the Integrated Probe for Analytical Diagnostics. Outside, Archibald's face appeared on the screen as the whole video stream flickered with static.

Archie lifted the Probe up, showing the video. "In case one of us...or both of us don't make it out," Archibald said, "Please know...Larry is innocent. He was framed. He would never have burned this place down. Now...GET US OUT OF HERE!" Archibald said, finishing his speech. If his best friend died, he would at least want to clear his name.

Soon angry citizens tried to break into the burned building. But they stepped back to see more ice forming on the blackened walls. Iceburg was freezing them, blocking out the citizens.

Archibald tried to work with the Probe. "Why can't this work!?" he yelled. All of a sudden, a thin cylinder popped out of the front of the Integrated Probe for Analyctical Diagnostics. The flat rectangular computer began to hum and vibrate like it was about to do something.

Larryboy continued fighting. Then he found Oswald on the floor and picked it up. The next thing he knew was that he felt like his heart was being stabbed. Time was running out.

Larryboy's skin was paler and his eyes have become extremely grey. His heart pounded fast as his breathing was really raspy. Larryboy screamed in pain once more. The pain would not stop. The poison has already flooded his system and deep inside him it was killing him. It hurt. It hurt so much. He wanted to make it stop, but the city came first.

Suddenly, the Alchemist grabbed Larryboy by his shirt, pulling him closer to him. As Larryboy hung there, all the villains began to beat him like a pinata . The Alchemist pulled Oswald out of Larryboy's grasp and back into his claw.

"Four minutes, Pickle-Boy," the Alchemist sneered, "And watch out for your little friend." The Alchemist held up Oswald in his other claw, ready to strike. All Larryboy could think about was that all those people were about to become in danger of all his enemies. And how much everything hurt.

Larryboy screamed in pain loudly. "Make it stop!" he yelled. The Alchemist smiled. Oh how he loved to hear the screams of his enemy.

The Alchemist's grip tightened, his claw digging into Larryboy's skin. "Let go! Let go!" Larryboy yelled repeatedly over and over.

Larryboy began to cry out and cough. He was in so much burning pain. The Alchemist just punched Larryboy with Oswald's nozzle. Larryboy's eyes widened in pain, and he could just imagine how bad he looked. The Alchemist stood still as he held Larryboy, who cried out loudly. Larryboy's eyes were glaring with a horrified expression as he continued to scream in pain.

But he had to keep going. He had to keep moving. But not for himself. He did not care about himself. He had to stay alive for Bumblyburg.

He was a hero after all. That hero.

As for the Alchemist, as he held Larryboy in his grip, his cries of agony staining his memory, he smiled wickedly. He was seriously twisted. This was strangely fun for him.

Suddenly, an orangish tiny sphere flew past the Alchemist's head. Larryboy ducked in time as well.

He turned his head to see it hit a pillar of bricks. As tiny as it was, it knocked the bricks over. The bricks smashed into other pillars like dominoes. Dust rose in the air as the bricks scattered everywhere.

Larryboy stopped yelling for a moment and then realized what was happening.

The building was collapsing for real this time.

* * *

**Wow has it been a week already? Well I'm going back to the "one chapter at a time" thing instead of posting two chapters.**

**Sorry if this got too violent for you. I rated this T for a reason.**

**Also, I know this was a terrible place to leave this chapter off, but this chapter is already really long and I had to split it.**

**And to the guest review that said that since Larryboy appeared in Dave and the Giant Pickle it would be his seventeenth anniversary, I'll just leave it at sixteen because I really don't feel like going through this whole story and changed every "sixteen" and change it to "Seventeen." Hopefully you can understand.**

**That's right. I read my reviews just to let you know. ;)**

**One last thing: I tried to include most of the villains here. I know some are missing, but because of some lack of knowledge I have of the characters, they did not fit well. Sorry.**


	17. Thank You

**Warning: If you are extremely sensitive, this might get really sad. I'm sorry for playing with your emotions but it's what I do. I even started to feel sad as I wrote this.**

* * *

Chapter 17- "Thank You"

Everyone turned to look at Archibald. More tiny orange spheres shot out of the cylinder cannon that came out of the Probe. Archie actually activated a weapon, but by accident.

All the villains screamed. They ran for cover as Archie struggled to shut the Probe down. The building rumbled and continued to collapse. The floors above smashed into each other, the building shrinking every second.

Bricks, rocks, metal, and other debris rained down in large chunks. Everyone ran around like crazy while the building fell apart.

"Let's get out of here!" someone yelled.

The Probe on Archibald's "hands" spewed out the orange bullets. Archibald tried to stop the firing machine. He tried to face a direction where no one standing there could get shot while he held the Probe. He ended up facing the entrance.

The people outside crowded around the frozen entrance of the building ran away as the orange bullets shattered the ice. Villains poured out of the building, escaping.

Archibald, Larryboy, Mother Pearl, and the Alchemist remained in the building. The Probe kept firing tiny orange bullets.

Without warning, as the Alchemist still held Larryboy, he turned around and fired Oswald at Archibald. A larger orange ball flew at him.

"ARCHIBALD!" Larryboy screamed.

Archibald shrieked and held up the Probe. He ducked. When Archibald got up, he discovered there was a large hole in the middle of the Integrated Probe for Anylictical Diagnostics.

"It's over Pickle-Boy!" the Alchemist yelled as the building continued to collapse around them.

"Cubby! We have to go!" Mother Pearl yelled.

"Not yet Mother!" the Alchemist yelled as he still held Oswald and Larryboy in his hands.

Suddenly, Archibald jumped towards the Alchemist. He held up the Probe with its giant hole and threw it around the Alchemist's head. Just like Archibald won a ring toss contest, the Probe hung around the Alchemist's head. The Alchemist suddenly dropped Larryboy and threw Oswald into the corner as he tried to pull the Probe off, it's broken edges around the hole pinching his face.

A large piece of the wall landed near Mother Pearl. She grabbed the Alchemist and began pulling him to the exit while he grabbed at the Probe around his face.

The Alchemist saw Oswald in the corner. Large pieces of bricks and wood began to rain down and surround it.

"Wait! I need that!" he yelled.

"Forget it Cubby!" Mother Pearl yelled.

Larryboy lay on the ground alone, in his puddle of despair. Archibald stood over him as bits burned furniture and the walls collapsed around him.

"Master Larry?" Archibald fearfully stuttered.

Larryboy opened his eyes. Then he narrowed them in determination. He had a job to finish.

Archibald helped Larryboy get up. Larryboy weakly swayed.

"Let's go!" Archibald said. Then he ran to the exit. He dodged every falling obstacle without a scratch.

"We made it!" he said in relief, thinking at least one of their problems were over. Then he turned around to see that Larryboy was not around him. Just falling bricks and rocks. Then he saw Larry running to the back of the room.

"Larryboy! Where are you going? We could be using this time to get the antidote and SAVE YOUR LIFE!" Archie yelled. Minutes were turning into seconds that would lead up to Larryboy's last moment, yet Larryboy was running around in a collapsing building.

"I'm getting Oswald!" Larryboy yelled.

"What?! Why?!" Archibald yelled.

"I have an idea on how to save Bumblyburg!" Larryboy yelled.

Archibald felt shocked. After all this, Larryboy still wanted to save everyone instead of spending time to save himself.

Larryboy dodged falling chunks of the building. Then he found Oswald, covered ashes and surrounded by bricks. He dug Oswald out and ran back through the collapsing room. Half the building was just a pile of destruction. It seemed like the room collapsed behind him as he ran to the exit, which seemed farther than ever.

Larryboy ran slower and slower, and he felt weaker and weaker. Yet the light coming from outside and the faces of the people who needed him surrounded by the people who hated him made him keep going. Archibald's sad and terrified eyes shone at Larryboy, an aura of panic surrounding him.

He had to go faster. He ran through falling bricks and stone, dodging them all. He thought to himself that his wheelchair would have been extremely helpful now.

Larryboy came to the exit at last. His skin and eyes were really pale, almost making him look like a ghost. Suddenly, Larryboy skidded to a halt. Bricks, metal, and cement suddenly blocked his way, instantly dropping in the doorway as soon as Larryboy got there.

Larryboy panted as his grey eyes quickly searched for a way out, the dark building collapsing and rumbling behind him.

On the screen outside, the video footage was fading. The camera was suffering damage inside the crumbling building. The screen's footage shook as fuzzy white static began to replace it every second or so. Archibald felt like his heart stopped when he saw what was on the screen.

The video was no longer colored, only black, white, and grey. Falling objects obscured the camera's field of vision. For a split second, Larryboy showed up on the screen far from the camera, still holding Oswald.

Archibald fell back in shock. He could see the look of terror in Larryboy's eyes. But at the same time, he looked braver than ever.

This moment only lasted three seconds before something hit the camera, knocking it over. The video footage turned sideways before the screen only showed the white fuzz. For a second, it would flip back to what was happening in the building, the ghastly form of Larryboy getting farther but then the fuzzy snow storm became its permanent picture.

Archibald got up and pounded on he newly formed blockade in the entrance of the building. First ice blocked it, and when the ice finally got removed more something else just _had_ to replace it. He tried to desperately pull the bricks and cement away, to let his friend out. Policemen saw this and pulled him away, knowing it was too dangerous. All the other villains laughed at Archibald's feeble attempts. The Alchemist was still trying to pull the Probe off his face.

When he finally did, he turned to Archibald. "Thought this would stop me?"

Archibald burned in anger. If only he knew how to slap people without a hand to do it.

**"I AM THAT HERO!"**

Everyone looked up to see Larryboy jump out of a broken window positioned in the crumbling wall up on one of the highest floors . Larryboy plungered his way up the wall and jumped out. Everyone ran away from the building just as it finally collapsed into a pile of dust, bricks, cement, ashes, wood, metal, glass, and other destroyed things.

Larryboy flew to the ground holding Oswald as he swung down by a plunger cord attached to nearby building.

Everyone watched as Larryboy quickly took hold of Oswald. At this point, all the villains gathered into one separate crowd. They all trembled in fear, shock, and amazement at Larryboy. As evil as they were, they all knew Larryboy really was a hero.

Mother Pearl was waving the red cape at Larryboy, ready to tie him up.

Much to her surprise, Larryboy yelled, "It's over, villains!" The he flicked Oswald's switch.

"Copying- Red Giant Thick Ugly Blanket," a computerized voice came from Oswald.

"Hey! Ugly? I made this blanket specially designed to tie and confuse anything and anyone up in an instant!" Mother Pearl yelled, finally explaining how the blanket worked. It was not a normal blanket after all.

Then, at her words, a larger red blanket shot out of Oswald, and tied up all the villains "up in an instant." Only their heads were visible as the criminals tried to break free of the bonding blanket.

"It's not over! It's not over!" the Alchemist screamed.

Archibald ran up to the tied up villains. The glass beaker full of mauve liquid stuck out of the blanket. Archibald grabbed the antidote.

"It's probably over now," Officer Olaf stated mockingly.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" the Alchemist howled, much to everyone's annoyance. "Mother! This is all your fault!"

"My fault?" Mother Pearl asked angrily, "You were the one who left that leaf blower thing behind."

Archibald held the glass beaker with the mauve colored liquid and looked over at Larryboy. He started to run towards him. There was still time left.

Suddenly, a bright flash hit Archie's eyes.

"Ah! What was that? I can't see!" he yelled in surprise as his eyes snapped closed and he tossed the antidote up in the air in surprise.

The next thing he knew was that he heard a shattering sound.

"Please don't let that be what I think it was," Archibald muttered to himself as he quickly blinked his eyes. His vision returned. But he did not like what he saw. The bottle hit a woman standing in the crowd. At that moment, the woman got covered in the spilled antidote, which dripped off her hair and face and formed a puddle on the ground. Shattered glass surrounded her.

Archibald ran up to her and got on his knees. He definitely felt like crying and yelling in frustration now.

"Why?!" he yelled. Then he looked up at the woman.

Archibald then recognized that the woman was none other than Vicki. The beaker shattered on her. Her camera was in her "hands" like she just used it...

"No..." Archibald said when he saw this.

"I...I..." Vicki stuttered.

Archibald realized that Vicki just took a picture of the scene, and camera flash surprised Archibald, causing him to drop the beaker on Vicki.

"No..." Archibald said again in disbelief.

"I just wanted to take a picture for the-"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID?!" Archibald yelled at Vicki, burning with anger.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm-" Vicki repeated over and over.

Archibald took a deep breath. "Sorry I yelled, I just had to get that out."

Larryboy began to cough again in the background, reminding Archibald.

"Larry!" he gasped, turning around. It was all to gruesome.

"I...I...," Larryboy began to say but he never finished. Instead he collapsed and fell backwards, frail and weak.

Archibald ran to his side. He stood over him and stared. "No...Larry please stay with me. Maybe we can get another antidote in time..."

"I... don't think I can," Larry said.

Archibald stared at Larryboy.

"It...hurts so much Archie...it hurts...I don't think...," Larryboy began to say.

"Oh my, I know. I'm sorry. But please don't say that this is...," Archibald paused. "Just don't move. Maybe...maybe you won't...leave," he finished in a whisper.

"He has a minute left," the Alchemist's voice was heard. Archibald snapped.

This time Archibald really did scream, lifting his head to the sky. He screamed in grief, frustration, and anger. Most of it was anger. He was not so sure if he should blame Vicki for the camera flash, or the Alchemist doing this to Larryboy, or himself for making Oswald. This was not fair. The villains got defeated and they got the antidote. Why does Larry still have to die? Archibald screamed until his throat hurt.

"It's ok Archie..." Larryboy said, but he knew it really was not that ok. His skin was a pale green and his eyes looked like they lost all color, all life. Larryboy no longer trembled rapidly. In fact, his body was getting still. He was starting to feel numb, his sense of feeling rendered useless.

Archibald tried to smile. He did not want his best friend to die watching him cry. But the smile looked more like Archibald was trying to swallow moldy cheese. But he had to stay strong for Larry. He had to try.

"I'll miss you," Archibald said, tears swelling in his eyes.

Meanwhile, the crowd could not help but watch in silence. Now that they knew Larryboy was innocent, some even could not help but cry at this event.

Balloons and torn party streamers fluttered in the wind from the party that was scheduled to take place that day. It seemed crazy to think that the day started with Larryboy arriving at his anniversary party, and now he was about to die.

Even the group of villains felt stunned from where they all sat tied up. They just could not believe any of this.

"Even if we do still go to jail, at least we get to watch Pickle-Boy die," the Alchemist said.

"I can't believe this is really happening after all," Mother Pearl said.

"I can't believe we are watching them tied up in a red blanket," Awful Alvin grumbled.

"But doing crime will become so easy now," the Emperor brought up.

"Yeah, vith all those othah superheroes out of the picture too," agreed Greta Von Gruesome.

All the villains sighed peacefully but at the same time they all secretly felt something else. Like something was wrong about this. Something their bad hearts were not use to...like if Larryboy was gone, they would...miss him?

Even though none of them would admit it, it was true. Larryboy took up a big part in their lives.

Bob, Junior, and Vicki stood among the crowd. Junior began to cry, like the small eight year old kid he was. Bob tried to act tough but he was falling apart inside. They all were. In fact, he wondered what the next day would be like. Instead of a newspaper article about the success of the party, it would be about how the town's own superhero died.

Vicki watched everything unfold to her horror. Tears swelled up in her eyes as the antidote liquid still dripped off her face. The camera in her grasp trembled. She stared at it angrily. Then she threw it to the ground and watched it smash to pieces. She just did not care anymore. Then she ran to Archibald and Larryboy's side. She got down on her knees.

She and Larryboy stared at each other.

"Larry...I'm sorry...about everything. This is all my fault. I revealed your identity and now its my fault the antidote got wasted," Vicki said, feeling around a sticky patch of the antidote in her hair.

"I'm sorry, too, for not telling you my identity sooner," Larry said weakly, "And I forgive you."

"You know...the whole reason I wanted to know your secret identity..was that I just wanted to know. I didn't care how much it meant to you, I just wanted to figure it out. My curiosity ruined everything," Vicki said, tears streaming from her eyes.

"I'm just happy you were able to find out before I was dead," Larryboy said, faintly smiling. "Ever since I met you, I always loved you."

"Me too, Larry."

Archibald still stood over both of them. "I can't believe this is how it will end."

Larryboy began to look up. "I'll miss being a superhero. And I'll miss everyone. It was...fun..."

Archibald successfully made a weak smile. Tears began to fall against it.

Soon Larryboy's sight suddenly blurred and became dark. He could no longer see, but he still smiled peacefully. His breath was fading but he was still breathing.

He could still feel Vicki hugging him. He could feel her tears dripping off her face on to his face. They felt cold, but where they landed on his skin it felt good. It showed how much he was cared for. It also felt like he was coming back to life. They seemed to make some of the pain go away.

Larryboy gasps for air were getting short. The pure oxygen felt so good, but it was also far away. The air also smelled sweet, and it covered up all the unpleasant smells of ash and poison. It strangely smelled vaguely like maple syrup...

Archibald stared at Larry's dull form with wide eyes as he still stood. He was silent. He dropped to his knees next to Vicki. Then he grabbed on to Larryboy along with Vicki. He could feel his faint pulse fading. But it was still going.

Larryboy quietly mumbled. He was trying so hard to say something, but his dying breath made it difficult.

Archibald and Vicki were both shocked, and so was everyone else. It was just that day that Larryboy was so energetic, so happy at the celebration. He was so lively as he battled the Alchemist when he showed up. Archie and Vicki both personally knew Larryboy also had a sense of humor. Now Larryboy was so still and lifeless.

_"Don't worry! I'll be by your side. At least you can trust me!"_ Archibald remembered himself saying the night before. Then Larry smiled at him. It was a warm, loving smile. Archie had to hold on to it. Something to remember Larryboy by. He will need to remember it, to comfort him. Hopefully that smile will stay in his memory when the smile's owner is no longer...

"No! You can't die! You can't!" Archibald was heard sobbing, his eyes also wet and his face looking over Larryboy's still and pale face. "This can't be the end! THIS CAN'T! You can't leave! You have to be ok! This can't be happening! It has to be a dream! You have to come back! Say something! I know you are trying to! This isn't real! I won't be mad if someone was just playing a cruel prank on me if you would just be alive! You're the hero! You have to stay! I want to fight against this ending," Archibald said, shaking Larryboy's body and lifting it up. Larryboy's head titled back as his mouth slowly tried to form words still. Archibald tilted Larryboy's head back forward and stared at the still face. Full of tears, Archibald finally said, "I'll never forget you. At least you will die as a hero. You will always be remembered as a hero. _That_ hero."

Larryboy's only replies were his distant murmurs and how his chest gently heaved up and down. One of the last signs of life.

"I regret that the last few days I was just tinkering away in a dark lab, making that dumb weapon that perhaps caused all this," Archibald blubbered.

As Archibald continued to speak, Vicki examined Larryboy's body. It looked cold and pale. He was scratched and cut here and a thin layer of ashes and dust covered him from the building collapse. He was wet with her's and probably Archibald's tears.

Vicki's eyes burned with her own tears. The spilled thick antidote dripped from her face and mixed with her tears. She watched as drops of the antidote touched Larryboy's skin. She looked at Larryboy sadly. "It should have been me," she cried, "I should have died. But you took my place." She sniffed and whispered, "What did I ever do to deserve that? I'll never forget...your love."

Larry's body jerked every time Vicki or Archibald heaved up and down in tears as they each held Larry in different positions.

Larryboy was completely numb, but he could still feel what was going on, yet it was all distant. He could no longer see. He tried to speak, but his throat was closed up. He had one more thing to say. Just one more.

"T-thank you," Larryboy finally managed to say. He was covered in tears now, his eyes shut.

Suddenly, all Larryboy saw was brightness. He was not in pain anymore.

* * *

**How cruel would I be if I ended this story like this? Sorry if this was too much for you...**


End file.
